


Unsuppressed

by tasu7



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars The Force Awakens, star wars the last jedi
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Compatibility, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Romance, Rutting, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-02-09 07:01:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 48,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18633163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tasu7/pseuds/tasu7
Summary: Rey had only ever encountered two Alphas in her entire life that had been unsuppressed. And now this third one that stunk up the entire building.Not that itstunk, his scent. In fact, it was the mostdeliciousthing Rey had ever smelled./////////////////////////////////////Ben Solo closed his eyes as he rode down the elevator from the 40th floor to the lobby, trying not to reach up to his glands to scratch them. Somehow, it felt like healwayscaught the elevator that was dripping in the Omega’s scent. The one that wandered around the building without any suppressants. The one that smelled better than any Omega he had ever smelled before.





	1. There's Someone in the Building

Rey huffed as she adjusted her skirt and tucked her hair behind her ear. She was nearly late for work, and was now waiting with several other people for one of four elevators to arrive back down in the lobby to take its next load up. The one on the far left dinged, and the crowd waited for a few people to get off before loading themselves tightly into the space. Once again, Rey was hit with a scent. Not just any scent. An _Alpha’s_ scent. She let out a frustrated sigh.

She began at Skywalker Engineering over a year ago, and had been subjected to the scent nearly every day since then. Somewhere in the massive building that housed 147 companies, there was an Alpha who wasn’t on suppressants. Rey had only ever encountered two Alphas in her entire life that had been unsuppressed. And now this third one that stunk up the entire building. 

Not that it _stunk_ , his scent. In fact, it was the most _delicious_ thing Rey had ever smelled. She was glad almost the entire population of Alphas and Omegas used suppressants. If she was subjected to hundreds of Alpha scents like that every day, she would damn well never get any work done. It was a distinctly male scent, nothing like the female Alphas she had smelled before. This male smelled like leather, and chocolate. His scent was always lingering throughout the building. In the lobby, in the elevators, and even occasionally on her floor. She was tempted to seek him out. To at least get a look at the Alpha that left his mouth-watering fragrance all over her place of work. She was a little angry that he had the audacity to wander around unsuppressed, probably annoying all the Omegas in the building trying to work. But, she didn’t want to become one of those people that judged others for what they do with their bodies. She had enough people throughout her life, Alphas, Betas, and Omegas, who told her what she should and shouldn’t be doing as someone with an Omega designation. She vowed to never be like that, to never make anyone feel less for their designation, or their hormones, or their bodies.

But _still_ , it was hard for her to understand why someone who worked in a building with thousands of people could go around like that. He _had_ to know the effect it had on people. Did he not care? Maybe he _wanted_ people to smell him. He did smell absolutely divine. Surely he used his scent to attract an immense amount of Omegas. So maybe he liked sex, she couldn’t blame him for that. Or maybe it was how _powerful_ he smelled. She bet that anyone within a mile radius would take his deal, or accept his diagnosis, or do whatever it was in the field he worked in. Maybe he used it to get ahead in his career. Again, she couldn’t blame him.

What she _could_ blame him for was the way her clothes felt too tight when she stepped into the elevator he had clearly been on at some point that morning. The small, confined space smelled like pure sex. She nearly turned around and took the stairs to the 21st floor, but there were already people behind her piling into the elevator. She instead stood in the back corner and tried to take shallow breaths, quietly asking for someone to push the button for her floor. No one else in the elevator seemed even the littlest bit affected by it. She smelled maybe one or two Alphas on the elevator, but couldn’t smell much else over the overwhelming aroma of the offending, unsuppressed Alpha who had previously been in there. There certainly didn’t seem to be any Omegas on the elevator with her, everyone else looked too calm under the thick cloud of scent.

In fact, no one else ever seemed to be bothered by it, by the Alpha’s scent. No one ever mentioned it, or joked about it. Maybe everyone wanted to maintain strict professional decorum. It was a bit inappropriate to discuss designation in the workplace. Still, it seemed odd to Rey that the entire year she’d been in the building, not once had she heard someone talk about it, or seen anyone hold their nose, or sniff the air curiously. Everyone seemed to be doing a fantastic job at ignoring it. Then again, this was Coruscant, not Jakku. Rey had not once been called ‘Omega’ by a stranger since moving here. People here seemed to respect the designations. Maybe she just needed to toughen up, to stop letting this Alpha’s scent affect her so much. It had been a whole year, after all. She should have gotten used to it by now.

Rey let out an exhale as she scrambled off of the elevator at her floor. She breathed in the fresh air, letting the Alpha’s aroma cycle out of her lungs and her mouth. There was no strong scent to be found here. Just the subtle fragrances of suppressed Alphas and Omegas working alongside the unscented Betas. She immediately felt better, and opened the doorway to her company’s office suite.

“Good morning,” Rose greeted her with a smile from the coffee room as she passed by.

“Morning,” Rey responded with her own grin, continuing to stride toward her cubicle.

She liked her coworkers. They were all nice. In fact, she loved her job. Luke Skywalker had hired her to his engineering firm fresh out of college, which was unheard of. But she had quite a bit of practical experience under her belt by the time she graduated, and Luke had taken a liking to her when they met at a job fair during her senior year. She had invited him to check out the engines she had been working on at the time, and he had practically offered her a job right then and there. Rey had been thrilled to accept.

She got to work on exciting projects here. Most of their contracts came from larger aviation engineering companies, when they needed to outsource the optimization of certain engine components. Rey loved problem solving. Her coworkers were great too. Rose was a brilliant data analyst. Rey often ate lunch with her, and considered her to be her best work friend. She worked most closely with Jess and Snap. Their team was directly supervised by Amilyn. Rey considered her to be a wonderful role model. She was tough, but always knew how to criticize constructively and had a knack for seeing the big picture when the team ran into challenges. And she never used her Alpha designation as some sort of permission to be dominating, or patronizing.

Rey plopped down in her seat in her cubicle, and got to work checking her emails. She had a few messages to answer from the reliability team, and sorted through her technical drawings to gather the details they needed.

“Hey Rey, do you wanna get lunch together later?” Rose asked, popping her head into Rey’s cubicle a few minutes later.

“Sure!” she responded. She didn’t have any meetings until the afternoon, so she would have time to duck out for and early lunch. She normally ate in the office, she didn’t like spending money too frivolously. But she could put her lunch in the break room fridge and save it for tomorrow. She always accepted when Rose asked her to lunch.

After a few hours of researching the new part that Rolls Royce had recently patented, Rey’s stomach growled, indicating that it was time for lunch. She pulled on her jacket and made her way to Rose’s cubicle.

“You about ready to eat?” she asked.

“ _So_ ready. Thought you’d never ask,” Rose joked, winking at her.

“Where do you want to go?”

“How do you feel about the roti place on 8th Street?”

“Oh yeah, that sounds great.”

“Awesome.”

The two women chatted about their work on the way down on the elevator. Blessedly, this particular elevator unit had not been subjected to _the_ Alpha. At least not today. A vague essence of him lingered in the lobby, but Rey was able to handle it without a problem as they hurried out of the building. They spent their lunch hour lamenting about their romantic lives. Rose was an Alpha, and had a major crush on an Omega that worked on the 40th floor. They’d met in the elevator a few times. His name was Hux, and she described him to Rey as ‘sex on a stick’. Rey had to admit that she hadn’t been in a relationship since her second year of college.

“Haven’t found the right person? Or just enjoying the single life?”

“Haven’t found the right person,” Rey answered. “I hold back a lot when it comes to relationships. To be honest, I’m probably _too_ reserved. I should probably put myself out there more.”

“I hear you, sister. I’ve known Hux for months and I have yet to make any sort of move.”

“You should ask him out! Then I can live vicariously through you!”

Rose laughed. 

“I will certainly be coming to you with Omega questions, if that’s alright.”

“Sure, I’d be glad to help,” Rey answered honestly.

Rose looked reassured by her answer.

“Actually, I kind of do have a question already. I don’t want to be rude, and please don’t feel like you have to answer, but I’m curious,” Rose said quietly, leaning over the table. “Do you normally… how do you… do you spend your heats with anyone?”

Rey was a bit taken aback at first. She didn’t regularly discuss such personal things with people. Well, she did with her friends, she supposed. Poe and Finn were her best friends, and they shared everything. She could always go to them to talk. They were a mated A/O pair, and did their best to support her as she navigated the world as an unmated, single Omega. She supposed Rose was her friend also. Probably her best friend outside of Finn and Poe.

She cleared her throat.

“Well, I normally do them alone,” she admitted quietly.

“Oh, I see,” Rose said neutrally. “Sorry if that made you uncomfortable. I’ve only been in relationships with Betas before. I’ve never even slept with an Omega. And… I think I’d be more confident making a move on Hux if I knew more.”

“No, it’s fine,” Rey assured her. She got the feeling that Rose would never judge her for anything. She seemed to be understanding and accepting of everyone. “I’ve never been in a relationship with an Alpha, actually. I’ve had a couple heats with one. But I’ve only dated Betas. So I don’t know what it’s like to go through a heat with an Alpha that… you know… I’m actually _seeing_ outside the heat.”

“I wonder what it’s like,” Rose said.

Rey gulped, a tiny bit of their building’s male Alpha’s flavor still coating the back of her throat.

“Me too.”

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben Solo closed his eyes as he rode down the elevator from the 40th floor to the lobby, trying not to reach up to his glands to scratch them. Somehow, it felt like he _always_ caught the elevator that was dripping in the Omega’s scent. The one that wandered around the building without any suppressants. The one that smelled better than any Omega he had ever smelled before. It drove him crazy nearly every day. They were definitely female, that much he could tell. She smelled like sunshine, and honey. It made his mouth water. Did she realize just how dangerous it was to do what she was doing? If an aggressive Alpha caught on to her scent, he might attack. Or at least stalk her or something. He debated with himself every day as to whether or not he should track her down, maybe warn her. Or at least get a look at her, this Omega that smelled so delicious. 

Her scent had only appeared about a year ago. He’d been at his mother’s publishing company, Resistance, for nearly seven years now, and had never encountered this problem in the first six years. From what he could tell, the Omega worked on a floor lower than him. Her scent never reached as high as his floor, which ruled out floors 41-56. A few times, he had been blasted with her aroma when he stopped by the 21st floor, where he would pick up his uncle before heading to lunch with him. It was likely she worked on that floor. There were four companies on that floor, so it would have been difficult to subtly seek her out. Then again, with how pervasive her scent was, the air vents could probably distribute her scent pretty strongly across a couple of floors. So he still wasn’t certain she was on the 21st. He had thus far resisted investigating further.

He tried to hold his breath, but didn’t last the entire 40 floors with several stops along the way. When they finally reached the lobby, he practically shoved his way off, taking deep breaths of the cleaner lobby air. If only he worked on a lower floor and could take the stairs. He really hated feeling like a pervy Alpha that could think of nothing but some girl’s scent. He could still smell her in the lobby, but it wasn’t nearly as strong.

“You’re late,” Phasma said as he approached her. 

“Sorry, got caught up in a meeting.”

“You know I only have 40 minutes for lunch, right?”

“I’m sorry, alright?”

“Let’s get sushi,” she commanded, striding away to lead them out of the building.

Phasma was an Alpha’s Alpha. Strong, clear-minded, resilient. She was certainly dominant. Ben didn’t mind. He never had to decide where they would go for lunch. And she was a good friend, too. Her protective instinct wasn’t just reserved for Omegas. She always knew how to comfort and support her Alpha and Beta friends, too. 

Ben was always tempted to ask her about the Omega scent that filled their building, but didn’t want to come off as too seedy. Phasma would probably scold him for objectifying women. He was probably just overreacting anyway because he was in a bit of a dry spell. After breaking up with Bazine nearly a year and a half ago, he just couldn’t bring himself to sleep with anyone, Omega or not. No one interested him. _That_ was a topic that Phasma loved to talk about. She was always trying to set him up on dates. With Alphas, Betas, Omegas, whoever. Ben didn’t discriminate based on designation, he just wasn’t interested in dating in general. Phasma, who had been mated for years, was just trying to look out for him, which he appreciated, but there was something not quite right with him. He couldn’t figure out why, but he just couldn’t imagine himself with anyone at the moment.

Thankfully, the outside air provided him relief from the tantalizing scent that filled the building. He finally felt the scent filter out of his nose. One of these days, he just knew he wouldn’t be able to take it anymore, that he would have to track her down. He didn’t know what he would do once he found her. But he was itching to know what she looked like, why she was unsuppressed, maybe even if she was single. She clearly wasn’t mated. Mated pairs’ scents were so muted to everyone outside the pair that they didn’t even need suppressants. But that didn’t necessarily mean she was single. Maybe her Alpha didn’t allow her to take suppressants. It was an extremely abusive thing to do, but Ben had heard of it once or twice before on the news. If that was the case, Ben found he wanted to seek her out even more, to make sure she was ok. It would tear his inner Alpha apart to see an Omega in distress or an abusive relationship.

“Are you alright, Ben?”

“Hm?”

“Are you ok?” Phasma asked. “You seem distracted.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he answered. He hadn’t realized that they were already at the sushi restaurant and that he hadn’t said a word the entire walk over. This Omega was taking up too much of his brain space. Maybe he should just address the problem, get some sort of resolution.

“Actually, there’s something I want to ask you about.”

Phasma looked at him skeptically as they took a seat at their normal table by the windows.

“What’s on your mind?”

Ben waited for the waitress to fill their water glasses and leave before he continued.

“I’ve sort of… noticed something for about a year now, and I was wondering if you noticed it too.”

“Noticed what?”

“Have you noticed something… strange in our building?”

“Strange?”

“Yeah,” Ben continued, feeling more and more awkward about bringing it up. “You know… like… a scent?”

Phasma looked confused.

“Well we had our walls repainted last week up on the 53rd floor so it kind of smelled for a few days…”

“No, no…” Ben said, shaking his head. He wanted to die in embarrassment. “I meant like… a _person’s_ scent.

Phasma’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, Ben! Are you finally into someone?!”

“What? No! I can just smell them. I mean… the whole building can smell them. You know what I’m talking about, right? The Omega in our building without suppressants?”

Phasma went from looking happy to confused again.

“What do you mean?”

Ben couldn’t tell if she was intentionally messing with him or not.

“Our whole building. It’s smelled like an Omega for like an entire year. Someone that isn’t on suppressants.”

“I… no… I haven’t noticed.”

From the serious look on her face, Ben concluded that she wasn’t pulling his leg. She looked genuinely confused.

“Really?”

“Really,” she assured him. “Maybe it’s just someone on your floor that you’re compatible with?”

“No, that’s not it. She’s definitely not on my floor. And her scent is _way_ too strong. She’s gotta be unsuppressed.”

“Sorry, Ben. I haven’t noticed anything.”

The waitress interrupted them, and Ben sincerely hoped she hadn’t overheard their conversation. It was embarrassing enough to admit to Phasma, let alone a complete stranger. When she finished taking their order, he tried again.

“So you haven’t smelled _anything_ unusual?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“But she’s like… covered the building. The elevators, the lobby, sometimes it travels through the air vents. There’s no avoiding it.”

“I’m sorry Ben, I really haven’t smelled anything. There must be some sort of explanation. I can still smell Omegas, even though I’m mated. And I haven’t noticed anyone that smelled stronger than any others. Especially one that’s unsuppressed. I would have noticed.”

Ben frowned. Was he just imagining it, then? That seemed impossible. The way she tasted on his tongue couldn’t be anything but real.

“Then what the hell am I smelling?”

“I’m not sure,” Phasma said, looking thoughtful. “Maybe it’s an Omega you’re extremely compatible with. Mitaka always smelled stronger to me than other Omegas.”

“He was still on suppressants, though?”

“Oh, god yeah. Trust me, if he hadn’t been, I would have jumped the moment I saw him. And that probably would have scared him off.”

Ben frowned again. He didn’t want to think about anyone jumping the Omega he smelled. He didn’t want anyone else licking her glands, inhaling against her skin. That thought startled him. When had he started thinking of her as… _his_? He didn’t even know her.

“What should I do?” he asked Phasma, burying his face in his hands. This wasn’t a problem he had encountered before. He had no idea what to do about it.

“I don’t know… have you considered… non-creepily tracking her?”

“Yeah,” Ben admitted sheepishly. “But I don’t want to be a perv.”

“I don’t think you’d be a perv for looking for someone that you obviously are compatible with,” Phasma countered.

Their sushi arrived, and Ben was thankful for the hot wasabi and sharp, salty soy sauce that could overpower the taste of the Omega’s scent that was still left on his tongue. He still wasn’t convinced that there wasn’t an unsuppressed Omega working in their building. Phasma just must be desensitized, being mated and all. There’s no way a scent that strong could come from anyone that was on even a minimum dosage of suppressants.


	2. There's Someone in the Elevator

Ben and Phasma continued to have a nice lunch. By then end, he had nearly forgotten about the Omega entirely. They talked about work, family, the usual. Ben complained about Hux, his annoying coworker. He wasn’t all bad, and they’d certainly been through a lot together. They had both walked away from First Order Publishing after only working there a year. Their former boss, James Snoke, was certifiably insane. Thankfully, his mother had lent them a helping hand and offered them both jobs, where they had both happily worked for seven years now.

Then Phasma invited him over to have dinner with her and her mate on Saturday. He regularly hung out with Phasma and Mitaka– not only were they good friends, but they were his main source of knowledge for what an A/O mated pair could be like. His parents were both Alphas, his Uncle Luke was Beta bachelor. His Aunt Amilyn was an Alpha but happily married to a Beta. Even more rare, his Uncle Chewie and Aunt Maz were an Omega-Omega married couple. Ben didn’t want to know how they’d gotten through heats when they were younger. There was nothing wrong with those pairings, but Ben had always felt like he would be most fulfilled by mating with an Omega. So seeing how happy Phasma and Mitaka were, and how perfect they were for each other, sometimes gave Ben hope that maybe he wouldn’t always be alone, that maybe there was an Omega out there for him somewhere. Phasma and Mitaka didn’t meet until they were in their mid 30s, but it had been worth the wait. Ben was secretly jealous of them, though he would never admit it.

Sometimes he allowed himself to imagine it– a life with an Omega. He couldn’t picture what she looked like, but he could conjure up feelings. The feeling of her smooth skin under his hands. How she would feel cuddled up against him on the couch. The way his knot would lock into her as her cunt clamped down on him. How comforting it would be to hold her protectively in his arms as they slept. He wanted to take care of someone, to provide. To make his Omega come as many times as he could with his mouth, tasting her sweet, floral slick before splitting her open on his cock. He yearned to be able to lick her glands as much as he wanted. But mostly, he just wanted to belong to someone. To wear an Omega’s bite, proclaiming to the world that he had found a life partner, someone who loved him. He was getting older now, already 30. He was ready for all that.

But lunch wasn’t the time to think about that fantasy. Instead, Ben chatted with Phasma about the new superhero movie that was coming out as they walked back to work. They were both big fans of the Spectacle franchise, and argued over who they thought would die in the next movie. But upon entering their building, Ben was once again accosted by the unsuppressed Omega’s scent. It nearly sent him reeling, it was so strong. He bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from greedily swallowing down air and filling his nose with it, the sweet, viscous air. He instead tried to listen to Phasma as they caught an elevator just as it was about to close, the doors quickly shutting behind them.

_Oh, no._

She was _in_ here. The _Omega._

In _this_ fucking elevator.

There was no way she _wasn’t_ in it.

Ben nearly gasped. Although he’d been subjected to the delectable scent for almost a year, it had never been _this_ strong. He nearly doubled over. His mind went blank for a moment, only able to process just how _tasty_ her scent was. When his brain rebooted, he immediately began looking for her. Phasma was still talking to him, but he couldn’t hear her. His mind was focused on finding the source of the luscious scent, and he suddenly felt frantic, and like the collar of his shirt was far too tight.

There were maybe 12 people in the elevator or so. Unfortunately, he and Phasma were in the front, facing the door. He turned his head slowly, trying to appear casual while he scoped the rest of the crowd. From his peripheral vision, he could spot four women. The one closest to him was tall, and blonde. She looked about 45 or so. She was pretty, but the scent of wildflowers and honey and warm breezes didn’t quite seem to match her. He couldn’t put a finger on why. Further behind him were three women. All of them looked fairly young. There was one black woman in a crisp grey suit, a brunette in a blouse and and skirt, and a short Asian woman in a dress. He couldn’t get a good read on them from the microsecond he allowed himself to look at them. He immediately faced front again.

 _God_. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? Ignore it? He could _taste_ her running down his throat, like a thick nectar. Even his cock was beginning to harden against his slacks, his Alpha body responding all on its own to just how fresh and ripe she smelled.

He closed his eyes, replaying what he had just seen. The three women in the back. One was standing there, still. The other two, the brunette and the Asian woman, were speaking quietly. The brunette had looked upset. That was about all he had picked up before turning back around. Why was she upset? Could she be the Omega? Theoretically, they could all be Omegas. But there was only one that smelled like _that_. He couldn’t smell a single other person on the elevator. 

“Ben?” he heard Phasma ask from beside him.

He released his clenched fists. He realized that he was shaking, and beginning to sweat. His body was ready to find the Omega and push into her against the wall of the elevator, and restraining himself was taking a massive amount of energy.

“Yeah?”

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Sorry, what?”

Just then, the elevator slowed as it approached its next stop. Ben and Phasma maneuvered themselves into a corner as a few people exited. The two women that had been speaking with each other walked off the elevator, along with another man. As the door closed again, Ben glanced up at the floor number display.

21.

 _Shit_.

So it _was_ the 21st floor after all. He took a deep breath of the air in the elevator. It was still downright sinful in how saturated it was with her scent. But it wasn’t _quite_ as strong as when the two women had been on it. It _had_ to be one of them. Was it the brunette? She was beautiful, Ben could tell from the remarkably quick glance he’s gotten. He hoped it was her.

 _Hoped_? Since when was he even _interested_ in this Omega?

“Hello, Earth to Ben…” Phasma waved her hand in front of his face.

He looked at her, and she looked immediately concerned by what must have been a very strange expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?” she asked curiously.

He glanced around the elevator before leaning towards her.

“It was _her_ ,” he whispered as quietly as he could.

“Her?” Phasma asked. “Oh! The… the you-know-what?”

Ben nodded. He gave Phasma a look to tell her that he would discuss it with her once they got off the elevator.

She got off with him on his floor and immediately followed him into his office.

“She was on the elevator?!” she asked as soon as he shut the door behind them.

“Yes,” Ben answered confidently, loosening his tie, trying to relieve the pressure on his sensitive glands. “She got off on the 21st floor.”

“So you saw who she is?!”

“There were two women who got off. I think I know which one it was.”

“What does she look like?”

“Brunette. Slim. Medium-ish height I guess. I didn’t get a good look at her.”

“You should have followed her!”

“What?” Ben asked, bewildered. “No! I can’t just follow some woman to her office. That is incredibly creepy!”

“Well are you going to go find her? Wait, isn’t your uncle’s company on the 21st floor?”

Ben sighed. Of course it was. And knowing his luck, she probably worked for him, even though there were three other companies on the floor.

“It sure is.”

“You could ask him if he knows her?”

“And what exactly would I say to him? ‘Hey Luke, so there’s this Omega that works on your floor that drives me absolutely crazy, any chance I can go around and sniff your employees?’”

“It’s better than nothing,” Phasma replied, laughing. “I think you should find out who this girl is, meet her.”

“Okay, but I want it to be casual. I don’t want to make her feel like I’m talking to her just because she isn’t on suppressants… even though it’s kind of true…”

“Ben, that girl is _not_ unsuppressed! I would have fucking smelled her too!”

Ben was flabbergasted. So Phasma _really_ couldn’t smell her? What was wrong with her?

Oh, no.

Maybe there was something wrong with _him_.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “But I know what I’m smelling. She’s not on suppressants.”

Phasma rolled her eyes. 

“I’m mated, not dead.”

“Ok, let me ask someone else then.”

“Knock yourself out!” she replied.

“I will!”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rey sat in her cubicle, staring at her blank computer screen. Her mind was still processing everything that had happened in the last five minutes. She had returned from a nice lunch with Rose, and they made their way back to their office as usual. But suddenly, when the elevator doors closed, everything changed. It was _him_. He was in the elevator. Her hands immediately flew up to her glands, to push down on them, to calm them. Thankfully, she caught herself just in time, instead messing with her hair before lowering her hands to her sides. It was very indecent to touch your glands in public. But they were burning. And something inside Rey’s stomach tightened. She could barely keep her jaw closed, with the instant high she felt from his scent hitting her brain. She felt her legs become restless, as they begged her to move and find the Alpha, so she could rub her body up against his and submit to him.

She knew Rose was talking to her, but her eyes instead darted around the elevator, looking for who the Alpha could be. The one that wasn’t taking a lick of suppressants. But there were too many people. And she was standing in the back, behind a few tall guys. She couldn’t tell who it was. She tried not to show how distressed she was, so she talked to Rose, although she couldn’t remember a single second of their conversation.

Before she could figure out what to do, they had reached their floor. She tried taking very conspicuous sniffs as she walked off with Rose, but couldn’t identify who the scent belonged to. Then, all of a sudden, they were back in the office, and she bid Rose goodbye as she headed to her cubicle.

What if it had just been the two of them in that elevator? Her and the Alpha? What would she have done? Would she have said something, tried to start a conversation? She would never want to come across as some sort of needy Omega that couldn’t control herself around an Alpha, even if he was unsuppressed. But something about his scent was just so _right_. She squeezed her thighs together involuntarily just at the memory of it. No matter who it was, what he looked like, she had the scary thought that she would let him take her. She didn’t think she would be able to stop herself by at least trying to strike up some small talk if they were ever in close quarters again, or from doing something far, far worse.

“Rey, are you alright?”

Rey looked up to see Snap in her cubicle, looking at her questioningly. She realized how strange she must have looked staring at a blank computer screen, and desperately hoped she didn’t look as aroused as she felt. Thankfully, Snap was a Beta, so at least he wasn’t able to smell her.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, her voice shaking. “I was just thinking about something.”

She quickly sprung into action, turning on her monitor and logging in.

“Ok,” Snap said. “I just wanted to ask if you could print off the new designs for Luke before the conference call. You know he hates looking at screens. I’d do it myself but I need to update the specs for the Milfer project real quick since I have that meeting right after the conference call.”

“Sure, no problem,” she said, putting on a smile she hoped seem genuine.

“Thanks a bunch. Are you… sure you’re ok?” he asked again, not seeming convinced by her acting.

Rey sighed.

“Just a weird day, I guess. But really, I’m fine. I’ll print those off.”

“If you say so,” Snap said, shrugging. “Just let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Snap.”

She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath when he left. She needed to pull her mind back into work. There was no time to be obsessing over some Alpha. Sure, he was the most tempting-smelling person on the planet, but it’s not like someone who probably had Omegas falling at his feet thanks to his lack of suppressants would ever choose _her_. She was too skinny, and plain. She obviously couldn’t smell herself, but she doubted her scent was anything to write home about. And no one really seemed to want her around for any sort of extended period of time. Finn and Poe were her best friends, but she had only known them for a few years. And they had essentially kicked her out of their apartment when they mated. She understood why, of course. But it didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt. She had never really belonged anywhere. Not with a family, not with a partner, and, at the end of the day, not even with her friends. So the idea that an Alpha would want to spend time with her, even a lifetime, seemed rather far-fetched. Besides, she was happy with her life as it was. Wasn’t she?


	3. There's Someone in the Office

Ben didn’t really know what he was doing. One moment, he was arguing with Phasma about whether or not it was possible that the Omega he was smelling was unsuppressed. The next moment, he was in the elevator again, making his way down to the 21st floor. Phasma had just shaken her head and took another elevator up to her own floor, giving him a sarcastic wave as they parted. He was stuck in the same elevator they had just taken, the one _she_ had been in. It made it hard for him to think, with his glands itchy and his palms clammy.

Suddenly, he arrived. He stepped off the elevator and marched right into his uncle’s company’s office suite. 

_Shit_.

All he could see and hear and taste as soon as he opened the door was the Omega. Jasmine, clear spring water, honey.

She _definitely_ worked here. She was _here_. _Right now_.

“Ben, nice to see you!” Luke greeted him, looking surprised to see him as he rounded a corner. “What brings you by?”

“Uh…” Ben stuttered inelegantly. He hadn’t actually visited Luke in his office in a few years, they usually just met up in the lobby.

What was his plan now?

Luke looked at him questioningly, but patiently waited.

“Uh… just wanted to say hi, I guess.”

“Oh! Well, hi!” Luke responded, walking up to him and patting him on the back with a smile. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Uh… sure,” Ben answered. He really had no idea what he was doing.

Ben glanced around the work space as they made their way to Luke’s private office, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Omega. Or maybe hoping he wouldn’t, seeing as he would have no idea what to do if he actually saw her.

Ben was a little relieved when Luke closed the door behind them. The scent wasn’t so strong here.

“So how are things upstairs?” Luke asked, flipping on his electric kettle and settling down behind his desk.

“Fine, fine,” Ben answered quickly, taking a seat in the armchair by the window. “You know how mom is.”

“She really needs to slow down a bit,” Luke said, sighing. “Just look at me! I don’t really do any work at all, I just manage and sit in here and drink tea! The kids out there do all the work.”

Ben laughed.

“I don’t think she could even if she tried. You know that.”

“True, true,” Luke replied, chuckling. “So, anything on your mind? Not that I don’t appreciate the visit! You just usually only come down if you want to talk about something specific.”

“Well,” Ben conceded, “I guess there is.”

“Shoot,” his uncle responded. He retrieved two mugs and poured the now boiling water into them, steeping them with tea bags. He handed one to Ben.

“So… how many people do you have working here now?”

“Fifty two,” Luke answered, looking proud.

“Right, right. Anyone newer? That started in the last year or two?”

Luke raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“It’s kind of a long story… but just… can you answer?”

“Well,” Luke continued. “I hired our new IT specialist oh… about a year and a half ago. He’s great. We have a new manufacturing team member, I think she’s been here about 6 months… Oh, I hired a new engineer about a year ago…”

“Who’s the engineer?”

“She graduated from Coruscant Tech. She’s young, but she knows what she’s doing. She’s been building engines since she was a kid…”

“What does she look like?”

“What’s going on, Ben?” Luke asked, looking thoroughly baffled by his nephew’s line of questioning.

“There’s… I think I know her…” he lied.

Luke paused, not looking convinced. He answered him anyway.

“Well, she’s young, brown hair. Wears it up in a weird hairstyle. Pretty athletic. Uh… maybe an inch or two shorter than me. Her name is Rey.”

Ben swallowed. It was just like the girl in the elevator.

It was her. He just knew it.

“And… have you noticed anything… _different_ about her?” Ben asked. Luke was a Beta, but maybe some of his other employees had filed complaints about her lack of suppressants or something.

“Different?”

“Yes.”

“Uh… I don’t think so. I’m not sure what you’re getting at, Ben. How do you know her?”

Ben looked down at his hands in his lap. Should he tell his uncle? He certainly didn’t want to… but perhaps he could get some of his questions answered. But then he would probably tell his parents that he was interested in someone, and _that_ would be a shitshow. Especially once his mother knew that she worked in the same building. And even more so that she was an _Omega_.

A knock on the door of Luke’s office interrupted them.

“Come in,” Luke said.

Amilyn popped her head in.

“We have the conference call with Bespin in five,” she said in a hurry.

“Oh, thank you. I had forgotten,” Luke said, putting down his tea and standing up from his desk.

“Hi, Ben,” Amilyn added, giving him a wave and a smile before she ducked out.

“Sorry to cut our tea time short,” Luke said to Ben. “We’ll have to catch up later.”

“Yeah, sure,” Ben said, although he was probably never going to bring it up again. He’d have to find out more about Rey some other way.

They walked out of the office and Luke turned left to head toward the conference room. Ben turned right, deciding it would be best if he just went back to work.

After turning the corner, he full-on collided with someone.

“Oof,” the person said, dropping their stack of papers as they bounced off of each other.

“Ah, sorry,” Ben said quickly, before freezing.

_It was her_.

Every atom in his body came to a standstill as her scent blasted into him. If he thought it was strong before, then the way she violated every one of his senses should be illegal.

The Omega looked up at him, with pretty hazel eyes and cute pink lips. All high cheekbones and fluttery eyelashes. Her skin almost seemed to glow with health and vigor. She was absolutely stunning. And he thought he didn’t have a type. He had been wrong. His type was _her_. In no way was he prepared for his heart to shift into overdrive the way it suddenly did.

“I… I…” he stuttered. 

Her sweet, fresh scent made his brain short circuit. There was nothing to be done. She smelled even better up close, somehow. She smelled _just right_ , like she was waiting to be taken by him. Like he should take a _bite_ of the smooth skin on her neck, and lick his way down her body. He wanted to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder and lock them in the supply closet until he made her scream his name.

He heard her let out a little breath, her chest rising and falling a bit, and the sound went straight to his groin. He _really_ needed to leave before he did something stupid. He couldn’t believe just how out of control he felt, this close to her. Was he really one of those overly aggressive Alphas? He felt himself shudder at the intensity of his own reaction to her. It wasn’t like him.

“Sorry,” he muttered again, abruptly turning and walking past her. He didn’t even help her pick up her papers. He nearly ran out of the office. He didn’t even wait for an elevator, he went straight for the stairs, not giving a damn that he would have to climb 19 flights. He couldn’t risk going back to her. If he waited for an elevator, the temptation would be too great.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rey looked down at her stack of designs now littered across the floor of the hallway. Suddenly, she wanted to hide under her desk in her cubicle and cry. And she wasn’t usually the type to have a breakdown at work.

But the way the Alpha, _the_ Alpha, had just looked at her made her heart feel like a thousand pounds in her chest. Somehow, she had run straight into him. And by the force, he smelled like a log cabin, a home in the mountains, a man. Like a rich dessert that coats the inside of your mouth, and heavy musk that clouds your mind. Everything she apparently never knew she wanted until she caught his scent. Like he could pick her up, throw her over his shoulder, and take her somewhere he could spank her and make love to her then cook her breakfast. She shuddered at the thought, and felt her pussy clench involuntarily.

Why the hell was he in her office?

She fought back tears as she remembered the look on his face after they collided. He’d looked… disgusted. As if her presence alone had ruined his entire day. She hadn’t meant to run into him. It was as much his fault as hers. The Omega part of her shriveled up inside as she thought about how she displeased her Alpha.

Hold up… what? _Her_ Alpha? His damn scent was making her batshit crazy. And now it wasn’t just his scent, she knew what he looked like. And he was no average Joe. He was tall, and broad. All Alpha. Long, thick, black hair that she could run her fingers through. Dark eyes that could look right into you, and lips that were downright sinful. He was devastatingly handsome. Rey didn’t know men could look like that in real life, he looked like he stepped out of a painting of old royalty. But then his face had shifted, showing how put off he’d been by her. And that was a look Rey knew she wouldn’t quickly forget.

She bit her lip to keep herself from crying. Sometimes she hated being an Omega, sometimes unable to suppress the desire to please Alphas. She finally knelt down to pick up the papers strewn across the floor. He hadn’t even helped her pick them up. Despite how amazing he smelled, he was really quite rude. Rey wished that knowing this would dampen the effects of his scent, but her body didn’t seem to care. She could feel her nipples tight against her bra, and cursed her hormones for how quickly they’d responded to him. As if she had no self-control whatsoever. It was probably for the best that he had left so quickly. She probably would have made a fool of herself if they’d actually interacted.

“Rey, are you alright?” she heard Amilyn ask from down the hall. She saw her boss walk forward and lean down to help her gather the rest of the designs.

“Yeah, just dropped my folder,” she lied, hoping that her scent wasn’t elevated from the stress. If her Alpha supervisor got too close, she would be able to smell her panic, even through her high dose of suppressants.

“The call is about to start, let’s hurry,” Amilyn said, standing up with her and handing her the rest of the papers.

“Of course,” Rey said, putting on her game face. She wasn’t going to let some mean Alpha ruin her day. Even if he smelled like heaven, even if he hated her.


	4. There's Someone in the Drugstore

_Ring Ring Ring_

Rey did the only thing she could think of when she finally got home. She called her best friends.

“Hey Rey-Rey!”

“Hey Poe, how are you?”

“Great, Finn is making stir fry. Hold up, I’ll put you on speakerphone.”

“Hey, Peanut!” she heard Finn say over the sound of sizzling oil.

“Hi, Finn.”

“So what’s up, lady? How are you?” Poe asked.

Rey let out a sigh.

“I had an… interesting day at work.”

“Good interesting or bad interesting?” Finn asked.

“Bad interesting.”

“Bummer,” Poe sympathized. “What happened?”

“Actually, I have a question for you guys. Well, for Poe I guess.”

“What is it?”

“Do I… smell bad?”

“Uh… no? I mean there was that one time in college when you didn’t shower for a week–”

“That was during finals! That’s totally acceptable!”

“Yeah, ok Rey. Whatever you say.”

“Anyway, that’s not what I meant. I meant like… do I smell bad… as an _Omega_?” she finished quietly. She couldn’t believe she was asking it.

“Excuse me,” Finn interrupted, “did you just ask my mated Alpha man how you smell?”

Rey could hear a joking lilt to his voice, so she wasn’t too worried.

“It’s alright, babe,” Poe said to his husband. “You’re the only Omega for me.”

Rey rolled her eyes at the overly saccharine tone. _Mates._

“Why?” Finn asked. “Did someone say you smell bad?”

“Well, not directly,” Rey answered. “But I bumped into this Alpha today and he made a super sour face. I can’t think of any particular reason except for that maybe I smelled bad to him.”

“Ok,” Poe said. “First of all, rude. Secondly, Rey, you’re on such a high dosage of suppressants that I can barely smell you at all. I have to be like right up in your grill. And when I can catch your scent you smell fine. Omegas never really smell bad. At least I’ve never encountered one. Some just smell better than others.”

“Really?”

“Well, yeah. I don’t think it’s possible for an Omega to smell bad to an Alpha. That kind of defeats the purpose of designations, right? Although I could just be making this up. I’m not an expert.”

“Huh.”

“Maybe he was just pissed you ran into him,” Finn offered.

“We ran into each other. It wasn’t just my fault.”

“Alpha’s never want to take any of the blame,” he said. “Sorry, babe,” he added for his husband.

“You’re fine, Rey,” Poe assured her. “He’s just a dick. Next time you see him, _you_ should throw a face at him.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” Rey said dejectedly. 

“Why not?”

“Firstly, I have no idea who he is. He was wandering around our office, and I have no idea why. I know he works somewhere else in our building, but that’s about it. Secondly, he…”

Rey trailed off. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to admit what the Alpha did to her.

“Secondly, what?” Finn asked.

“He… I… it’s hard to explain…”

“What is?”

“He smells too good.”

There was a pause. Rey could hear the light popping of something frying in hot oil, but that was it. Should she hang up? Why weren’t they saying anything?

All of a sudden, she heard her two best friends burst into laughter.

“Hey, it’s not funny!” she insisted.

It didn’t stop them.

“Sorry, Peanut,” Finn eventually said, still laughing through his words. “We’ve just never heard you get this flustered over an Alpha before.”

“I’m not _flustered_.”

“Rey,” Poe said, “you literally called to ask me how you smell. In what way is that not flustered?”

“It’s not because I like him!” she replied firmly. “He just… I was… he’s the one that’s not on suppressants!”

The laughter suddenly stopped.

“What?” Poe asked, as if he hadn’t heard her.

“I’ve been smelling him for a year! He’s not on suppressants! This was just the first time I actually saw him in person.”

“Peanut,” Finn queried,” are you sure?”

“Am I sure that I saw him?”

“No, are you sure he’s not on suppressants?”

“Positive,” she answered.

“I’m going to come by your office tomorrow. Where do you work?” Poe said.

“What? No. You can’t just–”

“Rey, I can’t just do nothing. It’s unsafe for an unmated Alpha to be around Omegas like that unsuppressed. You could be in danger.”

Poe was one of her best friends. But sometimes, his overprotective, commanding Alpha-ness was extra annoying.

“Poe, I’m fine. He literally scowled and then ran away from me. I don’t think he’s interested like that.”

“If anyone should be going,” Finn cut in. “It should be me. I’ll be able to smell him better than you.”

“Oh no, you are not going anywhere _near_ an unsuppressed Alpha,” his husband argued.

“So it’s fine for you to go because you’re an Al–”

“Guys, guys,” Rey interrupted. “Don’t fight. It’s fine, I’m fine. Again, he wasn’t remotely interested in anything I had to offer.”

She could hear Poe sigh. 

“If you say so,” he conceded. “But you tell me if he does anything creepy. Right away.”

“I will,” she promised. “But what should I do if I see him again? I become a mess whenever I smell him. I don’t want to embarass myself.”

“How often do you smell him?” Finn asked.

“Pretty much every day in the lobby. And the elevators.”

“Even when he’s not in them?”

“Yup.”

“Damn. That’s one potent Alpha.”

“Hey!” Poe said indignantly.

“I didn’t say that was a good thing!”

“Guys, a little help here?”

“I think you should stay away from him, Rey.”

“But what if I run into him by accident? I nearly started taking my clothes off today and all he said was ‘Sorry’.”

“Jesus, Rey. How long has it been since you got laid?”

Rey huffed. They both knew it had been over a year now.

“That has nothing to do with it!”

“Your heat was what, two months ago?” Finn asked. “Maybe you’re just getting it early?”

“My heats are like clockwork,” she replied. “And he’s smelled the same for an entire year. So it’s not just my heats. I just never saw him in person and smelled him up close before.”

“You could use the Vaseline trick,” Poe suggested.

“What’s that?”

“Seriously? You’ve never used Vaseline?”

“Do I _want_ to know where you’re putting it?” Rey asked.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Rey. You rub it under your nose. That way you can’t smell the person that makes you want to jump their bones.”

“What?”

“Rey,” Finn chimed in, “you’ve really never done that before? I thought everyone knew about that...”

“Well… I… I’ve never had this problem before!”

Rey didn’t like to talk about what her life was like before she turned 17 and came to Coruscant for college. Sex ed wasn’t exactly available in Jakku. And designation tips and tricks were less… sophisticated.

“Oh, honey,” Poe said gently. “Give it a whirl. There are super expensive nose drops online that block out pretty much every scent, but Vaseline works just as well, and you can just rub it off when you need to.”

“Oh… ok,” Rey agreed. It didn’t sound too bad, although inhaling the strong scent of menthol all day would be terrible. Maybe she could just use it when his scent was particularly strong. She could probably get more work done that way.

“Rey, are you sure everything is ok? He’s not bothering you, is he?” Finn asked again.

“What? No. I literally have never seen him before today. And he wasn’t all that bad, maybe he was just in a rush…”

“Oh my god you _like_ him!” she heard Poe shout.

She held her phone away from her ear.

“No I don’t!”

“Yes you do! You’re defending him! Oh my god maybe you should ask him to see you through your next heat!”

“Poe Dameron!”

“I’m just saying…”

“Five seconds ago you were calling him a creep, now you want me to sleep with him?” Rey asked, aghast.

“Well, if he smells that good to you, maybe it means you’re compatible!”

“He smells good because he’s not on suppressants! That’s it!”

“I’m just saying… maybe you should track him… find out where he works. Maybe skip a dose or two yourself, get him interested…”

“Poe!” Finn shouted, sounding scandalized.

“I’m sorry, but Rey could use a good fucking! When was the last time you had an Alpha help you through a heat, Rey?”

“Ugh, this is so not helpful!” she replied, rubbing her face with her hand.

“Don’t listen to Poe,” Finn said. “Just stay safe, alright?”

“I will.”

“Sorry to leave this on a frankly offensive note,” Finn continued. “But I just finished cooking, we should eat. Maybe call us tomorrow?”

“Sure, no problem. Thanks guys... I guess.”

“No problem, Rey-Rey,” Poe said, sounding cheerful. “Use protection!”

“I’m hanging up now!”

Rey angrily hit the Call End button. Sometimes Poe really tested her patience.

She got up from her couch, her own stomach demanding dinner. She poked around in her fridge and decided that stir fry actually sounded pretty good. Finn was an excellent cook, so hers probably wouldn’t be as tasty. But it sounded like a good option to use the remaining bits and bobs of vegetables she had. She fired up her rice cooker and got to work, stewing over her friends’ advice.

She definitely _didn’t_ like him. She didn’t even _know_ him. He was just hot. And smelled good. Sure, those were good qualities to look for when you needed someone for your heat. But Rey hadn’t used an Alpha for a heat in years. Something about it felt too personal. Now that she was older, it was even harder for her to trust others. Especially Alphas. Too many had used her, made her feel worthless. Would this Alpha be like that?

She nearly nicked herself with her knife while chopping an onion when she was suddenly bombarded with the memory of his handsome face. Why did he have to be so smoldering, and sexy? That didn’t seem fair. 

She sighed, pulling out a frying pan and placing it on the stove. She really should stop thinking about him. She would probably never see him again. Although why was he at Skywalker Engineering? They rarely had any visitors, and they were mostly clients. What the hell had he been doing there?

She dumped the chopped veggies into the hot oil, quickly grabbing a wooden spoon to stir them as they fried. If she saw him again, she was going to keep her cool. And be casual. And maybe talk to him, and maybe take a deep inhale as she leaned closer to him. Wait, what? No, none of those last things. That would only lead to trouble.

She poured the contents of the frying pan over her bowl of steaming rice, and settled down on her couch to turn on Netflix and watch The Office reruns until she got tired. This Alpha was just a small blimp on her radar. Nothing to fuss over.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rey stepped into the office the next morning with her hands full. Coffee and a bagel in one, and a small bag from the drug store in the other. She’d taken Finn and Poe’s advice and bought a small tub of Vaseline. She threw in some hand lotion and toothpaste to make it look more casual, but the spotty teen cashier smirked at her anyway, as if he knew exactly why she was buying it.

She nearly ran straight into Rose as her friend stepped out of the break room and into the hallway.

“Hi, Rey!” she said joyfully. “A little late today?”

“Had to stop at the drugstore.”

“Well you missed a big delivery.”

“Huh? I thought we weren’t supposed to be receiving the new timing belt prototype until next week.”

Rose just smiled, and pointed over to Rey’s cubicle.

Rey nearly dropped everything in her hands.

On her desk was a big bouquet of flowers. A whole mess of them. Purple lilacs, red lilies, pink peonies, yellow tulips...

“What the fuck?” she said under her breath.

“So who’s the admirer?” Rose asked.

“I have no idea,” Rey answered honestly.

She slowly approached her cubicle, almost afraid something might jump out at her as part of a prank. But the bouquet remained still as she placed her bags and breakfast down on the other side of her desk and carefully sat down. She pulled the small envelope sticking out of the flowers and opened it. Rose looked on with curiosity.

_I’m sorry for running into you yesterday. I should have stopped and helped you. Please forgive me._

There was no signature, no name. Just an inordinate amount of flowers from someone that merely bumped into her.

“Shit.”


	5. A Mother's Advice

Ben sat down in his office, leaned forward, and began banging his head on his desk. His day could not possibly be going any worse.

First, he had made an impulsive decision yesterday to order apology flowers for Rey. He only realized today how creepy that probably was. At least he had left his name off of them. That way she couldn’t report him to the police or at least whatever security their building had.

Second, he embarrassed himself in front of basically the entire managerial staff of the company in a meeting. He had been daydreaming about Rey’s eyes when Hux elbowed him in the ribs. Everyone in the conference room was looking at him, and the representative from the Naboo office had to repeat her question for him. His mom spared him an angry glance at the end of the meeting.

Third, during lunch, he made the mistake of asking Phasma for tips on how to not make an ass out of himself if he ever ran into Rey again. _That_ led to a forty minute rant from Phasma about how he should shoot his shot and, in her words, ‘mate that Omega up’.

Ben shuddered. His friend had been kidding, but it was something that hadn’t strayed far from his mind since. It was hard not to imagine Rey as his mate. Which was _crazy_. Five seconds. Five seconds was all the time he had spent with her. If you can even call bumping into someone and then running off like a giant wuss spending time with someone. But imagining the soft skin of her neck under his teeth, with her scent filling every nook and cranny of his senses, was a fantasy that was hard to ignore.

He stopped banging his head, and instead laid it down on his desk. How was he supposed to get any work done?

_knock knock knock_

He sighed, and sat up straight, trying to look professional.

“Come in.”

Leia entered, and closed the door quietly behind her. She took the seat opposite from his desk. Ben relaxed a little, letting his tight posture collapse.

“Hi Ben, are you alright?”

“Fine.”

“Are you sure? You seem distracted today.”

Ben huffed. That was an understatement.

“I guess I am. But I’m ok. Sorry for spacing out in the meeting earlier.”

“Yeah, what was up with that, sweetie?”

“I… was thinking about something.”

Leia raised an eyebrow in a way Ben was all too familiar with.

“Something interesting?” she said with a curious tone.

“I… you haven’t talked to Uncle Luke today, have you?”

“No, should I have?”

“No, no. That’s cool. Fine.”

“Ben, you’re acting weird. Like your father just before he admits he screwed something up.”

Ben let out a frustrated sigh. His mom knew the Solo men too well. He’d always been awful at keeping secrets from her. She had a sixth sense for that sort of thing.

“I’m having… a problem with someone.”

“Who? Hux?”

“What? No. I mean, yeah usually… but no. Someone you don’t know.”

“Is it a girl?”

“What? How did you know?”

“You only get this flustered over girls,” his mom replied, leaning back in the chair and crossing her arms. His mom was the cockiest person he knew.

“It’s…” he said, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. This was wildly uncomfortable. “It’s an Omega.”

Leia’s jaw dropped. She sat there for a moment, frozen. Then, suddenly, she jumped up from her seat, bolted to the door of his office, and yelled out to her assistant, “Kaydel! Cancel my afternoon meetings!”

She slammed the door shut and returned to her seat, looking completely energized.

“Tell me everything.”

“Mom, no! This is weird!”

“There’s nothing weird, Ben! It’s natural! It’s about time you settled down, and what better way than with an Omega?”

“You married an Alpha!”

“Yes, but I love your father. That trumped everything. But you’re thirty now, and still haven’t found anyone. Maybe this is a sign!”

Ben rolled his eyes. For someone who married within her own designation, she sure believed in the A/O trope.

“Who is she? What’s she like? How long have you been dating? Have you talked about mating yet?”

“Mom! Jesus! No! We haven’t even spoken. I bumped into her yesterday and made her drop her papers.”

Leia excited expression quickly turned into a frown.

“Ben! Here you had me thinking you liked someone! You can’t work me up like that!”

“You’re the one who jumped to conclusions!” he argued, throwing his hands up. “And I do… I mean… I do… like her that is,” he said lowly.

“Oh. But you haven’t even spoken to her?”

“It’s hard to explain,” he answered, rubbing his face with his hands. 

“Well, try,” Leia commanded.

“So… I think the main thing that’s going on here is that she isn’t on suppressants.”

Leia’s eyebrows raised far up her forehead.

“Really?”

“Yeah. You can smell her, right? She works in the building.”

“She… what?”

“You know… in the elevators, in the lobby… you can smell an Omega there, right?”

“Uh, no?” his mom answered inelegantly. She looked very confused.

Well shit. Maybe she really was on suppressants.

“Actually,” he continued, “I want to ask you something. Phasma says she can’t smell her either. And we were both in the same elevator as her. Is it possible I could still her that strongly even if she is on suppressants?”

Leia pursed her lips for a moment, thinking about it.

“I suppose,” she answered. “I’ve heard about A/O pairs that found each other by tracking their scents, and they were suppressed too. So there must be something to it. I doubt an Omega would work somewhere so public and not use suppressants.”

“But what does it _mean_? Why can I smell her but no one else can?”

The corners of Leia’s lips quirked up.

“Maybe there’s a reason. Maybe you’re compatible.”

Ben swallowed, the tiniest sliver of hope forming in his chest.

“You think so? Is that how it works?”

“Well, there’s really only one way to find out, sweetie.”

Ben looked down at his hands. He was supposed to be an Alpha. Brave, confident. Willing to do whatever it takes for his Omega.

But no one ever told him how to actually _get_ to the point of having an Omega. He’d dated Omegas before, but none that made him feel this way, so out of control and helpless.

“I guess I could ask her out,” he eventually concluded.

“That’s the spirit! You said she works in the building? Do you know where?”

“Yes,” he admitted. He wasn’t going to go so far as to tell his mother that Rey worked for Uncle Luke. That would take it one step too far.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Leia asked. “You’re not getting any younger! Lord knows how long I’ve been waiting for grandkids.”

“Mom!”

“Ok, ok. Too fast. I get it. But you need to put yourself out there. You’re a catch, if I do say so myself! Any Omega would be lucky to have you. Or Beta, or Alpha. You know I don’t discriminate.”

Ben cocked an eyebrow at his mom. She had always fantasized about her son mating an Omega, probably because she never had the experience herself. And she wasn’t very subtle about it.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Well, go do it then.”

“What, now?”

“Yes!”

“It’s the middle of the work day!”

“Exactly! You know where she is, and you don’t want to miss your chance. Now scoot!” she said, waving her hands at him.

“Ok! Fine!”

It was pointless to argue with Leia. He stood up from his desk, smoothing out his suit with his hands. Did he look ok? Did he _smell_ ok? Oh god, what if she didn’t like his scent? He was obviously on suppressants, but she would be able to smell him if he got close enough. And speaking of scents, how was he supposed to control himself in such close proximity to her? He couldn’t well ask her politely on a date if he was drooling the whole time.

“Oh, Ben! Wait here.”

His mom left his office, and through the open door she saw her rooting through the drawers at her secretary’s desk. She found what she was looking for, and returned to his office.

“Here,” she said, handing him a small pot of mentholated rub.

Ben blushed. He hadn’t needed to use the Vaseline trick since he was a teenager, when everyone’s hormones where raging wildly and their scents developed. The school nurse kept boxes of the stuff on hand to help students focus. The strong, minty smell was a little overwhelming, and at times headache-inducing, but it did the job. You couldn’t smell anyone through it.

“Mom, I can’t wear that. What if she notices?”

There was a characteristic shininess that accompanied using the jelly-like ointment.

“Rub it on the inside of your nostrils instead of under your nose.”

Ben sighed. He supposed it would have to do. At least that way he wouldn’t faint just at the smell of her.

He dipped his pinky finger into the rub, and, with some embarrassment, stuck it up his nostrils to deposit it. The burning of the menthol nearly made his eyes water, but it was certainly going to be effective.

“There,” Leia said with a grin. “Maybe now you’ll actually be able to form a sentence in front of her.”

Ben frowned at her. He really didn’t need the ridicule.

“No promises, Mom. I’m just going to introduce myself first. We don’t even know each other. I’m not just going to ask her out right away.”

“Sure, Ben. Sure,” she said in a sing-songy way, waltzing her way out of his office.

Ben tilted his head back and sighed. There was no way she would ever let this go if he didn’t go down and talk to Rey. He might as well bite the bullet and do it. What was the worst that could happen? It wasn’t like he was going to ask her out right then and there. He would go down an apologize for his rudeness after bumping into her, and see where the conversation went from there. Easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i gave up on the chapter titles theme lol. couldn't make it fit anymore XD


	6. Confrontation

Rey quickly snatched the bouquet from where it sat and hid it under her desk. She wanted to enjoy it, it really was a lovely bouquet. But more than that she wanted to avoid attention. Her coworkers would ask her who it was from, and she couldn’t think of a lie that would satisfy their curiosity without leading to follow-up questions.

“Not a flower girl?” Rose asked, frowning a bit at her urgency to conceal then.

“No, I am, but… it’s _embarrassing_ ,” she hissed quietly.

“I thought yesterday you said that you’re single?” her friend inquired.

“I am!”

“So who are the flowers from?”

“I don’t know,” she answered semi-honestly.

Rose gave her an unconvinced look.

“Ok,” Rey conceded, “I know who he is, but I don’t know his name.”

“Oh, that’s so romantic!” Rose said, her mood suddenly changed.

“How the hell is it romantic?”

“You don’t even know each other but he sends you flowers because he’s knows you’re _the one_?” she suggested, waggling her eyebrows.

“You watch too many rom-coms.”

“True,” Rose agreed, shrugging her shoulders. “Ok, I’ve gotta get back to work. But I fully expect the whole story at lunch.”

“Maybe.”

Rose stuck her tongue out at her before departing. Rey really wished no one had seen this. What kind of person sends flowers to a stranger for running into them? And how did he know who to send the flowers to? Was he stalking her?

No, that was ridiculous. She would smell him a lot stronger a lot more frequently if he was stalking her. He wouldn’t exactly be able to hide well.

She looked down under her desk as the gorgeous blooms. Something about the gesture gave her butterflies, she had to admit it. She was just a nobody from nowhere, and usually people didn’t even notice her when they did bump into her. But this big, mouth-watering Alpha had noticed. And sent her flowers. She’d never been given flowers before. Rey had no idea what to do with this. Was she supposed to send something back? He didn’t provide a return address, or even his name. Maybe he didn’t _want_ to be contacted. Rey’s heart sank back down at the idea. He clearly didn’t want her to know who he was or have any access to him. She had to fight back tears for the second day in a row. This Alpha was really messing her up.

_No, Rey_ , she told herself. It was a kind thing to do, after he was rude yesterday. Don’t turn this into something bigger. Just appreciate the gesture and move on.

She finally unpacked her bag and got to work, trying to ignore the subtle carresses of the flowers against her legs as she responded to emails. She would take the time to enjoy them at home. Even though it would be hard to separate the beauty of them from the beauty of the sexy enticing Alpha that sent them to her. Even though she had only seen him for a moment, his face was cemented into her memory, accompanied by the smell of musk and leather.

The rest of the morning passed by like any other. She made up an excuse to not get lunch with Rose, she just wasn’t ready to talk to her about her Alpha predicament quite yet. At least not until she figured out exactly what was going on, why she was reacting the way she was. She ate her lunch at her desk and poured over the calculations for their new proposal, then met with Snap and Jess to make the final checks. She’d nearly forgotten about the flowers incident until mid-afternoon, when she was walking toward the break room for some coffee.

All of a sudden, his scent hit her in a strong wave, filling her nasal cavity and her brain. Her stomach immediately dropped out. She whirled around, looking for him, but didn’t see him. But she was certain he was nearby. He was in the fucking office again. Panicking, she bolted back to her desk. She fumbled with the bag from the drugstore, finally getting her hands on the small jar of mentholated ointment. She tore through the packaging with her fingernails. Upon opening it, she jammed her finger in, gathering an ungodly amount of the stuff. Cursing, she grabbed a tissue and wiped off most of it, and then ran it desperately under her nose. Immediately, she felt relief. She couldn’t smell him anymore. Just the medicinal, minty scent of the Vaseline. Her head immediately cleared, and she felt her heart rate go down. Finn and Poe hadn’t been lying, it was effective.

Once again in control of her own body, she quickly cleaned up the evidence, shoving the tub of goo into her purse. Why was he here? Oh shit, what if he was here to see her? She quickly grabbed the bouquet out from under her desk and placed them next to her computer. She began messing with her clothes and her hair, and cursed Luke Skywalker for implementing casual Fridays. The old hippie just wanted an excuse to wear a Hawaiian shirt, but now here she was– left in some old black jeans and a Star Wars t-shirt. Not exactly the impression she wanted to make on the planet’s most appealing Alpha. Suddenly, she saw Jess round the corner with an impossibly tall, meaty man.

_Him_.

“Anyway, this is her cubicle right here,” she heard Jess say. Her coworker gave her a wave before turning back around and walking off, leaving Rey alone with the Alpha. Jess was an unmated Omega, how did she look so utterly unaffected by the unsuppressed Alpha?

He was just as handsome as she remembered if not more so. Broad, manly, and in an impeccably tailored black suit. She had to hold herself back from wrapping her arms around herself to conceal her own clothing choice. His whole appearance just screamed health, vigor, and all things Alpha. She thought that maybe without his scent occupying brain space, he wouldn’t seem so irresistible. She was wrong.

And now he was standing at the entrance to her cubicle, looking at her intently. She hadn’t moved yet, or said anything. His appearance alone, even without his scent, was overwhelming. His brow was slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking. And he made direct eye contact with her, so direct that Rey’s knees started to feel a little weak.

“Uh… hi,” she forced herself to sputter out. “I’m Rey.”

Inwardly, she cursed herself. She sounded so dumb, her voice all breathy and shaky.

“Ben, Ben Solo,” the Alpha said in a deep voice, extending a hand.

Rey was almost afraid to take it. She was so far gone for this dude already that surely touching him intentionally would only make things worse.

After an awkward pause, she realized that she was just staring at his extended hand, and shot her hand out. She ended up hitting his hand with her own with her haste, and felt herself blushing very hard as she retracted it and gave him a proper handshake. His skin was warm, Alphas tended to run hot– both literally and figuratively.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, trying to recover from her blunder.

“Likewise,” he said, nodding at her.

She felt exposed, the way his deep brown eyes were searching her face. Then she saw them spot the flowers on her desk.

“Ah,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’m glad you got them, the flowers I mean.”

She looked back at them, looking even more beautiful than they did that morning. And the low, syrupy timbre of his voice only made them even richer in color in her eyes.

“Yes, thank you for those. You really didn’t need to do that,” she said, turning back to him.

“Well,” he responded, putting his hands in his pockets, caving in on himself a bit. “I felt really bad about yesterday. I made you drop all your papers and then I rushed off. I’m sorry about that. I wanted to apologize in person.”

“It’s really ok,” she assured him. She felt herself smile at how suddenly shy he looked. As if all the initial confidence he had walked in with had faded away in less than a minute.

“How did you know who to send them to?” she asked. She definitely hadn’t given him her name.

“Oh, my uncle,” he said simply. 

But then Rey saw his eyes widen after he said it.

“Who’s your uncle?”

“Oh, um,” he said, taking a hand out of his pocket to straighten his tie, looking nervous. “Luke. Luke Skywalker. You know...” he said, pointing toward Luke’s office as if she wouldn’t know to whom he was referring.

Rey was more than surprised. She knew Luke had family. She even knew his sister worked somewhere upstairs. But she didn’t know he had a nephew. A very, very hot unmated Alpha nephew who smelled like dessert and sex.

“Oh,” she said. “I’m sorry. I haven’t heard of you. Or, I mean I haven’t spoken with him about you before.”

She grimaced.

“Er, I realize how awkward that sounded…”

Her heart skipped a beat when Ben laughed. The way his eyes crinkled up and a smile tugged at his lips was perhaps the most attractive thing Rey had ever seen.

“Don’t worry, I know what you meant. And have no fear, he doesn’t talk to me about his employees behind their backs either,” he said, leaning in slightly. The way he towered over her sent a small shiver up her spine. She had to clench her fists to keep herself from reaching up to rub a gland on the side of his neck exposed by him leaning toward her. She _really_ shouldn’t be even _looking_ at his glands.

“That’s good to hear,” she said.

She savored the little smile it earned her.

“So, um, do you work in the building?” she asked, as if she didn’t already know.

“Yes,” he answered. “I work for my mom at Resistance Publishing. 40th floor.”

“Oh, that must be nice, working with family.”

“Yeah, it is. Well, most of the time. You know how families can be.”

She nodded, pretending like she knew.

“What about you? Have you, um, worked here long?” he asked.

“Just about a year,” she replied. “I love it here.”

“Good! I mean, I’m glad,” he said. The sincerity in his voice and in his face made Rey melt a little.

Rey bit down on her lower lip. She had never felt truly controlled by her Omega designation until now. Even without his scent, the Alpha in front of her was appealing in every way. Strong, deliberate, and so very climbable. There was a part of her that would do anything to keep a hold on him, to not let him out of her sight. And she was no shy, timid Omega. That was for damn sure. Before she could talk herself out of it, she opened her mouth.

“The flowers are beautiful,” she said, quickly glancing back at them again. “They’re too much. Can I get you some coffee or something?”

She watched as Ben looked at the flowers, then back at her. He squinted his eyes a bit, as if he was thinking. 

Shit, thinking wasn’t good.

Then she saw him sneak a glance back toward their break room.

“No!” she exclaimed. “Not like, here. I meant somewhere else. Somewhere nice. To say thank you. For the flowers.”

She wanted to light herself on fire and run away. This was not going as well as she had hoped.

“Oh,” he said suddenly, looking a little flustered. “Oh! Yes! I mean… yes, of course. I would– I’d love to get coffee.”

Rey almost choked out a relieved exhale.

“Are you free now?” she asked. As long as she was diving headfirst into the unknown, she might as well commit fully before she could back out.

“Yes. Yes I am,” he stammered before smiling. He was so fucking cute when he smiled, it made it hard to think. “Are you ok to leave?”

“Luke won’t mind,” she answered. Well, she was pretty sure that was true. She’d have to risk it. 

Ben nodded as if he agreed, which was a good sign.

“Well, um, if you don’t mind waiting for a minute, I just need to run to the restroom really quickly.”

“Oh, no problem,” he replied.

Rey grabbed her purse guided them toward the front of the office suite. After signalling to him, she strode with purpose to the restroom. She nearly had a panic attack when she looked in the mirror. The shiny surface of the ointment under her nose was obvious, _really_ obvious. Or maybe that’s just because she knew it was there? Either way, it had to go. She didn’t want him to think she was sick. Or even worse, knew she was trying to avoid smelling him. She swiped a paper towel to rub it off thoroughly. Most of its sickly smell faded, and she was left with just a light minty aroma. It wouldn’t do. She needed it disgustingly strong in order to make it through a coffee date with him, lest she start taking off her clothes in the middle of the coffee shop and start licking his neck. She retrieved the Vaseline out of her bag and considered it for a moment. Could she put it… _inside_ her nose? Surely the tingling sensation would be uncomfortable. But it would certainly block her sense of smell. And that was the whole mission. Sighing, she opened the jar and stuck her pinky in. She looked around to make sure no one had walked in the restroom, and stuck it inside her right nostril. The menthol was so strong she nearly sneezed in response. But even with one nostril, she could tell it was going to work. And this way her upper lip wouldn’t be inconspicuously shiny. She repeated the process with her left, and then used the paper towel to rub away the remnants under her nose. It was just going to have to work. There was no way she’d be able to taste the coffee, but that was the lowest priority.

She sighed again at the state of her appearance. Why couldn’t she have worn something cute today? Stupid casual Fridays. She hoped it didn’t affect his opinion of her. Omegas were supposed to be put-together and well-groomed for their Alphas. She looked like a nerdy teenager who got a summer job at a used book store. She threw the Vaseline back in her purse and hurried out of the restroom. She didn’t want to keep him waiting long, he might leave.

Thankfully, he was still waiting at the front of the office suite as she reappeared. Legally, he shouldn’t be allowed to get hotter every time she saw him, but he did anyway. Stupid Alphas and their attractiveness. It really wasn’t fair to the rest of the world. She probably looked like a grubby child next to him.

“Shall we?” he said, opening the front door for her. Rey was so unfamiliar with chivalry that it embarrassed her a bit. She didn’t want to seem like a weak Omega. Unless that was what he wanted?

Shit, what if he wasn’t even single? But if he was in fact seeing someone, he never would have accepted to go to coffee alone with an unmated Omega, right? He seemed to polite too not follow basic conventions like that. Although he wasn’t on suppressants, so who knew what etiquette he did and did not follow?

“So what had you in a rush yesterday?” she asked as they waited for an elevator down.

“What?”

“Yesterday, you were in a rush?”

“Oh!” he exclaimed, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. Even his hair was beautiful. “I… uh… had an urgent phone call from my boss. I was in such a hurry I didn’t even think twice to help you. Again, I’m so sorry about that.”

“You’ve apologized enough, Ben,” she said. She hadn’t meant to make him feel bad again. It was clear that he wasn’t rude, it had just been a mistake.

“Thanks for being so understanding,” he said. “I’d hate to make an enemy at my uncle’s company,” he added more playfully.

“Yeah, you never know when you’ll need an engineering consult up there at your publishing firm,” she teased.

“You never know,” he agreed, his full lips pulling up into a smile.

The elevator on the far right dinged its arrival, and Rey had flashbacks to the day prior, when she had been stuck with this unsuppressed Alpha in the tight space, his scent pervading her entire being. This time she would be protected. Hopefully.


	7. Coffee

Ben really couldn’t have planned it better himself.

Rey had invited him out. For coffee. The last thing he expected when he went down to her office was for her to forgive him for how rude he had been and engage in further conversation, let alone ask him out. Was it a date? Was it just that she felt guilty for some reason about the flowers? He had yet to figure that out.

They stepped into the half-full elevator together, reminding Ben of the visceral experience of being trapped with her scent in it just the day prior. It made his chest tighten again to think of just how delicious she smelled. Even though thick, heady menthol was the only thing he could smell at the moment, he could still imagine her aroma- sweet, fresh earth, honey-flavored candy. He tried his best to avoid touching her as they squeezed into the front corner of the elevator by the buttons. If he touched her again, he was unsure he would be able to keep his composure going much longer. Thus far, he had avoided embarrassing himself too badly. 

Even without her scent, Rey was wildly appealing. She was gorgeous, for one. All natural beauty and lively eyes. He even loved her unusual hairstyle, three buns down the length of her head. And she looked like a dream in her Star Wars t-shirt and tight, black jeans. She was everything young, teenage Ben would have drooled over but that adult Ben had given up on finding. She was confident, too, which was the sexiest part of her. She would challenge him, which would make bending her over his knee and spanking her that much more satisfying.

He tried to cast that thought aside as the elevator descended to the lobby. He really did not need an erection right now.

“So do you have a favorite place? Or…”

“I’m open,” he said. “Is there somewhere nearby that _you_ like?”

“Well,” she responded with a smile that revealed adorable dimples, “I like Niima Outpost over on 8th Street. Is that ok?”

“Sounds great,” he replied. He had never been there, but he’d happily go to the sewage plant if that’s where she wanted to go. As long as they were there together.

They stepped off of the elevator together, and Ben had to keep himself from reaching out and grabbing her hand. He put his hands in his pockets instead.

“So what made you go into publishing?” she asked as they walked out the lobby door and into the warm summer air of Coruscant. 

“Well, my mom has always been a writer and publisher,” he said. “And reading was pretty much the only hobby that stuck when I was a kid. I always knew I wanted to do something with books.”

“That’s nice,” she said. He looked over at her to see her smiling again. He wanted to stare at her, but was afraid she would catch him, or that he would run into something. The sidewalks in the city were full nearly every time of day and night.

“What about you? Engineering?”

“Oh, I’ve always loved working with my hands,” she said. “I used to work in a junkyard when I was a kid. I used to pick apart old cars and engines. I even started building my own after a while, so it was a natural choice when I went to college.”

“A junkyard?” he asked with a frown. He didn’t like the sound of her working in a junkyard, or really any kid for that matter.

“Yeah,” she said a little more quietly, “I grew up in Jakku. Not a lot of choices for earning money there.”

Ben felt bad at how her voice changed– from confident to embarrassed. He hadn’t meant to sound judgemental of her.

“Well, I’m glad it led to where you are now,” he said truthfully, trying to make her feel better.

“Me too,” she said, sounding a bit happier. “Your uncle is awesome.”

Ben laughed.

“If you say so.”

He looked over at her to see her smile again.

“He is!” she said indignantly. “He hired me right out of college. Everyone else in the office is at least 10 years older than me. Well, amongst the engineers.”

“You clearly have the skills and the talent. I’m sure he saw that”, he replied, looking at her. He didn’t know anything about her work, but he was positive she was brilliant. Everything about her screamed intelligence, and determination. It was also a reminder of how young she was. He wondered if she would care about their age difference. It wasn’t as large as his parents’ age difference, he supposed. 

“That’s nice of you to say,” she said, looking a bit sheepish. She must not get complimented very often. Ben would be sure to do so as much as he could.

“So what do you do when you’re not being a big fancy publisher?” she asked, bumping into him from the side as they made way for a bigger crowd of people passing the other way on the sidewalk. He felt his breath hitch as she pressed into his body. She was so small, at least compared to him. It brought up a primal Alpha feeling of protectiveness over her, that he could use his size to defend her if needed.

“Mostly read, I guess,” he admitted. “I’m not exactly… super outgoing.”  
That was a massive understatement.

“Oh, I’m not either,” she said eagerly, thankfully putting space between them again as the sidewalk cleared. “I definitely go through phases of being a homebody.”

Ben nearly sighed in relief. So she wouldn’t mind staying in with him, letting him take care of her for days on end…

“I like to bike, though,” she said. “There are a good number of trails if you’re willing to drive about an hour out of the city.”

“That sounds nice. I don’t get out of the city a lot, and I haven’t biked in a long time,” he said. “Maybe I can join you sometime.”

He realized too late that it was a bit bold of him to invite himself.

“That would be great!” she answered enthusiastically, much to his surprise. “My friends hate biking. I can never get anyone to go with me.”

How anyone could resist doing anything Rey said was beyond him.

“I’d love to,” he said with sincerity.

She looked pleased as punch, and Ben was baffled how quickly they had gotten to this point of making plans together. He had never got along so well with anyone this quickly.

“The only place out of the city I really go to is up near Chandrila,” he added. “My dad as a lot up there where he keeps all his old planes that he likes to work on.”

“Wow, your dad has planes?” Rey asked, taking a step closer to him as they passed by another crowd.

“Don’t get too excited,” he replied. “He hasn’t gotten any of them to fly yet. He used to be a pilot, and he’s much better at flying them than fixing them.”

“Does he need any help? I’m not as familiar with planes, but it would be so interesting!”

“I’m sure he would welcome any help you could offer,” he said. “If you’re really interested.”

“I am! I can’t believe Luke never told me he knew someone working on planes!”

“He probably doesn’t want my dad to steal you away from his company,” he joked. 

“Unlikely,” she said, laughing. “Wow, you’re family is so multi-talented.”

Ben had never thought of them that way before.

“I guess,” he said.

“I can’t believe we’ve never met before,” she said. “I guess you don’t come down to visit Luke often?”

“I don’t,” he admitted. “I used to when I first started working upstairs, but it’s been a while.”

“Well I’m glad I ran into you yesterday,” she said.

Ben’s heart squeezed at her words. The Omega approved of him, she didn’t hate him.

“I’m glad I ran into you too.”

She gestured in front of them to a coffee shop, and they were quiet as he opened the door to Niima Outpost for her.

It was a small shop, full of humble, custom-looking furniture. It lacked the pretentiousness of the high-end chains that dominated Coruscant, and it told him more about Rey than anything else thus far. Force, he liked her so much.

There was no line, so they walked right up to the counter.

“Can I have a cappuccino, please?” she asked the teenaged barista sweetly. “For here, please… if that’s ok with you?” she turned to ask Ben.

“Yes, for here,” he answered. She actually wanted to sit down with him!

“Sure,” the barista said, writing the order down on a genuine paper notepad. “And for you sir?”

“Earl Grey tea, please, if you have it.”

“Absolutely,” he said.

Rey began to reach for something in her purse, but Ben beat her to it, whipping his card out of his wallet and handing it to the cashier. He wasn’t about to allow his Omega to pay.

“Ben, I thought I was taking _you_ out for coffee?” she argued.

“My treat,” he insisted.

Rey huffed. And somehow she was pretty even doing that.

“Fine. Thank you. But I’m getting next time,” she said forcefully.

Next time? Ben had to keep himself from smiling at the thought of a second date. Or a second occurence of whatever this was.

“I’ll have your order right out,” the barista said, handing Ben his card back after swiping it.

“Thanks.”

Rey led them to a table for two in the corner near a window. Sitting down, Ben realized just how small the table was. Even across from her, they were devastatingly close. He had an unprecedented view of her pretty face. It felt wildly intimate. They looked at each other for a moment, and Ben had to clear his throat and look down to avoid staring for too long.

“So, uh,” he stammered, “you went to school here?”

“Yup,” she said. Ben peeked up to see her tuck some hair behind her ear and look out of the window. “Coruscant Tech. You?”

“Naboo College,” he answered. “You know, liberal arts and all that.”

Her smile made his heart skip a beat.

“I’ve never been,” she said. “To Naboo, I mean. I hear it’s beautiful.”

“It is,” he replied. “I can take you, if you want. My family has a house there. I mean… you don’t have to… I just… I was just thinking that if you ever need somewhere to stay if you do go there… or you know if you need a tour guide… or not...”

“Ben,” she interrupted, placing her hand over one of his that was resting on the table, “that would be lovely. I mean, if _you_ wanted to go, that is. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you. I mean, you don’t even know me.”

Ben wasn’t sure what to look at– her small hand on top of his, or her concerned expression. Both were cute.

“Yeah,” he said. “Well, you make a good impression.”

She laughed. A beautiful, tinkling song. 

“So do you,” she said, withdrawing her hand. Ben couldn’t help but notice that she did it slowly.

He swallowed thickly, trying to interpret it all. It was clear that she felt a connection too, despite only just meeting. That had to mean something, right? Everything he’d heard from Phasma or from the internet about A/O pairs harped on the natural, instant connection they had. Was this it? This certainly felt different than normal, even with other Omegas. He could feel the tension, energy coming from both sides.

“I have a cappuccino and a tea,” the barista suddenly interjected from beside them, lowering their drinks onto the table.

“Thank you,” Rey said, smiling at the kid. Ben felt a twinge of something in his chest, but quickly dismissed it. Apparently he had not outgrown a juvenile sense of jealousy, at least when it came to Rey.

He watched as she wrapped her hands around the mug, lifting it up to her lips to gently blow on it. He was mesmerized by her lovely pink lips, the way they pursed together. The way they looked good enough to chew on. Her head would fit so nicely in his hands, and he could just lean over and…

“Still too hot,” she said, putting the mug back down on the table.

“What?”

“The coffee,” she said, pointing down, “I’m afraid you’ll have to suffer me a bit longer until it cools.”

“This is the farthest thing from suffering,” he said automatically. He was met with a faint blush on her cheeks. Omegas were so pretty when they blushed.

“You know,” she said. “Luke is also a tea person. A family trait?”

He looked down at his tea order. He had never made the connection before.

“I suppose it is,” he answered. “He and my mom both drink a ton of it.”

“I think it’s cute,” she said.

Ben had to temper his automatic reply to that one.

“Well maybe I’ll have to take you out more, convert you to the dark side of tea,” he said instead.

She chuckled.

“If you think you can sway me, you may certainly try,” she said. “Although I don’t think I’ll be able to take breaks in the middle of the day very often. You may need to try over dinner.”

Ben felt more and more confident with every flirty remark they exchanged. His Alpha was stripping away his nervousness, and replacing it with courage.

“How about tomorrow night?” he said.

“How about tonight?” Rey countered.

Ben nearly grabbed her and carried her off right then and there. He clenched his fists under the table.

“Tonight,” he agreed. He smirked as Rey looked pleased with herself, picking up her cappuccino once more to finally take a sip.

Ben picked up his tea, holding it up to his mouth to gauge the temperature. It was still quite hot, lightly emitting steam. For an Earl Grey, it smelled overly sweet. Maybe their tea wasn’t has high quality as their coffee.

He placed the mug back down, and watched Rey lick a bit of foam off of her top lip.

He could still smell the tea, it was quite strong. It smelled good, just not like Earl Grey.

_Wait._

He could… _smell_.

It wasn’t the tea at all. It was _her_. The rub had worn off, the menthol faded away. He was smelling her fragrant scent, her sweet, fresh aroma. He felt the nerves in his brain go haywire.

“I… uh… excuse me,” he said frantically. “I need to use the restroom.”

Rey looked a little distressed herself, for some reason.

“I… uh… I do too,” she said, her voice a bit strained. “There are two in the back.”

Ben stood up quickly. He didn’t know what he was going to do, he just knew that he needed to escape such a close proximity her scent as soon as possible if he wanted to remain sane and level-headed. 

Unfortunately, Rey stood up too. They both walked simultaneously toward the back of the shop, Ben catching fresh waves of her scent as they went. As they turned a corner toward the narrow archway that led to the small hallway with the restrooms, Ben took a step back to let her through first. Unfortunately, Rey did the same thing. They ended up running right into each other. Rey even stepped on his foot, although that was the least of his concerns. His hand came up to her back, stabilizing her after colliding. Her own hand came up to his chest, leaning against him to maintain her balance.

Ben couldn’t move. Not when they were touching. Not when her honey, vanilla aroma was filling his nose and his brain. Not when he could see the glands on her neck up close from the angle he had while standing next to her. Not when her hot little hand was resting on his chest, clutching onto his shirt. Instead, he took a deep breath, he couldn’t help it. Something deep in his throat rumbled involuntarily as his mouth watered.

_Shit_.

“Sorry,” Rey squeaked, using her other hand to grab his arm, untangling her feet from his.

She didn’t let go either.

Both of them stood there, not stepping back.

“Rey, I–”

“Ben, why aren’t–”

They both paused.

“Sorry, go ahead,” he said.

“I… I have to ask,” she said breathily. He looked down, noting the way her eyelashes rested on her cheeks when she blinked. “Are you… why aren’t you on suppressants?”

Ben almost didn’t hear her, as quietly as she asked. Almost.

“I– what?”

“I know it’s rude to ask,” she said just as softly, looking straight ahead at his chest instead of up to his face. “But… it’s very… distracting…”

Ben traced the outline of her lips with his eyes, processing.

“I… I am. On suppressants. Aren’t… but _you’re_ not…?”

“What?” she said suddenly, looking up at him again. Her eyes were adorably wide. “Of course I am.”

His lungs full of her scent said otherwise.

“No,” he argued, “I can smell you from a mile away…”

“You can?” she asked, sounding startled. “No… I…”

“Rey,” he said lowly. “I can. It’s… _very_ strong.”

“You must be mistaken,” she said a little more forcefully. “I can smell _you_ , even when we’re not in the same room…”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Ben looked into her eyes, struck by her sincerity.

“So… you’re on suppressants?” he confirmed.

“Yes,” she said resolutely. “You?”

“Definitely.”

They stood for a moment, still clutching each other.

“Can you… smell me right now?” she asked more timidly.

Ben closed his eyes, unable to leach her sweet scent from his existence.

“ _Yes_.”

“Oh.”

Ben sighed.

“I can… I can smell you too,” she said.

Opening his eyes, expecting to find disgust, he instead found something else on her face. Something that looked an awful lot like desire.

“Rey,” he let out, “you smell…”

“What?”

“Delicious.”

Her small gasp went straight to his cock. He didn’t look away as she gulped back a deep breath. He wanted to see every reaction the Omega had to offer.

“Ben,” she whined softly.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he muttered, now hardening in his slacks. He could feel the concentrated cloud of hunger between them, heightened by each rise and fall of her chest as she leaned even closer to him.

“You… you smell so good,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.

In hindsight, Ben should have tried harder to resist his primal urges. He should have tried hard to retain some semblance of self-control. Rey deserved that much.

But all chances of that faded away as Rey leaned into his chest and muttered, “ _Alpha_.”

Instead, he grabbed her hand that was at his chest, and dragged her down the hallway and into one of the private restrooms, slamming the door behind them and locking it.


	8. Locked Door

Ben was on her the moment he locked the restroom door behind them. Walking her backward, he pinned her up against the far wall, leaning down to nuzzle her neck and inhale deeply. She shivered at the feeling of his five o’ clock shadow on her skin and his warm scent surrounding them. Her stomach dropped out from under her when she felt his wet, hot breath on her neck.

“Ben,” she muttered, unsure what she was asking for.

“ _Omega_ ,” he replied, running his nose up and down along her glands. They felt like they were on fire, begging to be sucked and bitten.

In the normal world, the way he was handling her and calling her by her designation in public on their first date would be considered highly inappropriate. But this was not the normal world. No one normal and on suppressants smelled like this. Rey tried to wonder why and how they could smell each other so strongly, but it was hard to think with his broad hands cradling her head and his face buried in her neck.

“What– what’s happening?”

She felt Ben huff against her skin in response.

“I don’t know,” he said. “You smell so _good_.”

“What do I smell like?” she asked, not able to prevent how breathy her voice sounded. Her legs were trembling now.

“Honey. Fields. Flowers,” he answered, switching to the other side of her neck and placing his lips against the gland there, making her jolt. “ _Sex_.”

Rey let out an involuntary moan. She had never experienced something like this with an Alpha. And here she was, pushed up against a wall by a man she barely even knew, slick starting to build between her legs.

She could tell when Ben smelled her arousal– he pushed his body into her hers, and she could feel his hardness against her stomach.

“Rey,” he whispered roughly into her ear, “I’m sorry… I… tell me to stop.”

Rey’s normal sense of modesty and inhibition had been thrown out the window the moment she caught his scent again. She didn’t want him to stop, whatever it was that he was doing.

Instead, she grabbed a handful of his hair, and pulled him away from her neck. She looked into his eyes, and was met with wide pupils, and swirling fire within. She leaned toward him slowly, rising on her toes to meet him. She held him still while she approached, and he let her. An Alpha waiting for his Omega. She carefully, gently, brushed her lips against his– less of a kiss, and more of a way of mixing their scents. He let out a deep growl when he realized what she was doing. No longer patient enough to resist, he surged forward, capturing her lips fully with his own. 

Rey thought she knew what kissing was all about. She was wrong. Kissing Ben felt _natural_. His soft lips were made for it. Their tongues collided beautifully, and he sucked on her lips like they were candy. They devoured each other while she tried to inhale as much of his scent as she could. Eventually, she couldn’t wait to taste him at the source any longer, and she left his lips to kiss along his jaw, and down to his neck. She felt him exhale violently as she placed her lips on a gland, and he moaned out loud when she licked it. He tasted _amazing_ there, decadent and earthy at the same time. His arms were wrapped around her, nearly crushing her against him now, as if he was afraid it would all end if he let go.

This was _unbelievable_. Rey felt like she was floating somewhere above herself, watching them as if they were in a movie. She didn’t know this kind of thing actually happened to people in real life. Ben’s hands were wandering down her back, and now grabbed handfuls of her ass. It felt so right, to be held by him, to be possessed by him. She’d been with Alphas, and it had been pleasurable, but Rey had never once felt this desire to be _bitten_. Mated. It was all moving way too fast.

She had to rip her mouth away from Ben’s mouth-watering skin. She instinctually reached up to place both hands around his neck, applying pressure to his glands with her palms. This seemed to immediately calm him, and he looked into her eyes as his breath settled.

“I– we–…” she stammered, unable to articulate exactly what she was feeling.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled again.

Rey shook her head.

“Don’t be,” she whispered hoarsely. “It’s… a lot.”

Ben chuckled at the understatement. His smile made Rey melt even more against him. She tried to breathe through her mouth. She couldn’t put rational thoughts together with the smell of rich leather, musk, and chocolate ganache permeating her being.

“Are we… what should we do?” he asked softly, his deep brown eyes burning right into her.

Rey wanted to answer that they should have sex. Right here. Right now. He should pick her up and push into her, ruining her for anyone else. But that was ridiculous. Especially considering that she was so far gone into his scent that she would probably end up asking him to bite her right there in the bathroom.

“We should– we should…” she regretfully extracted herself from Ben’s arms, reaching down to find her purse which had fallen to the ground at some point. She pulled out the small tub of the mentholated ointment.

She saw Ben swallow in recognition, watching her carefully. 

“I… I can’t think when you’re…” she said, gesturing to him to imply that his entire existence drove her mad.

“Me neither,” he said, sighing, his arms back at his sides and looking disappointed.

Rey wanted to open it and smear a glob under her nose, but her body wanted the exact opposite. She hesitated, and it was enough to briefly change her mind.

“Maybe just… one more,” she said, stepping toward him again. He immediately wrapped her up in an embrace, and waited for her.

She rose up on her toes again to settle her lips against his, kissing him a little more urgently than the first time. He responded in kind, slowly but passionately kissing her and holding her tight. After a few blissful moments, luxuriating in his rich scent, she pulled away, sighing. 

Before she could rethink it, she opened the jar and coated her upper lip with the menthol, immediately filling her nose with the harsh scent and blocking out Ben’s delicious one. She felt her body relax a bit, the intense energy faded. Ben held out his hand for the tub, and did the same thing.

Neither of them said anything for a while, they just let their brains readjust to life without their scents driving them wild. They stood at a distance to let themselves disentangle.

“Well, that was something,” Ben finally said, smirking.

Rey couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yeah,” she agreed, adjusting her shirt from where it had ridden up. “Nothing like that has ever happened to me before.”

“Same here,” he said, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. He looked rather embarrassed, but apparently not enough to stop him from looking at her stomach as she pulled her shirt down.

Now that she felt slightly sane again, Rey suddenly felt insecure. What if he was only interested in her scent and in her purpose as an Omega, to be used for the Alpha’s pleasure? She felt so much more for him already, despite just meeting. What if he was only interested in no-strings-attached A/O sex? She’d done it before when she needed help through a heat, but never in a scenario when her feelings were involved. She’d worked too hard to build a life that wouldn’t hurt her anymore.

“So… what do we do from here?” Ben asked, looking at her intently. She watched as he put his hands in his pockets, clearly trying to keep them to himself.

“I want you to be honest with me,” Rey started, her nerves kicking in. At this point, honesty was really the only way to deal with something so incredibly intense. She was in unchartered territory, and decided to tackle it head on. She crossed her arms in front of her stomach, ready to shield herself.

“Of course,” he said deeply. His face was an open book to her at the moment, and to her relief she saw true sincerity.

“I… I think I like you, Ben. Without your scent I mean.”

Ben looked at her with wide eyes, and she nearly chickened out, but kept going.

“And… I want to spend more time with you. Like what we said with dinner and all that. But… if you don’t feel the same way… if you just like… how I smell… I’m not sure I want to do that.”

She studied Ben as he looked at her, and panic began to set in as he remained silent for a moment. Had she miscalculated? Was he really only interested in her scent? Her Omega need for her Alpha’s approval was roaring beneath the calm exterior she was trying to exude.

Then, Ben took a step closer to her, taking his hands out of his pocket and used it to grab one of hers, looking at it as he rolled it between his palms.

“I can’t deny that you are the most incredible Omega I’ve ever smelled,” he started lowly. “But I also can’t deny that I also like you without it, your scent. I didn’t know what to expect… but even just the past hour has been… amazing.”

Rey’s heart clenched almost painfully at his confession. He really did like her?

“But I never want to push you, to lose control when I’m around you,” he continued, and she could see him looking at the glands on her neck. His look was so primal that she felt herself blush, which only made his eyes dilate wider.

“I want to keep seeing you,” she said boldly. Something about this Alpha made her brave.

Her breath hitched as Ben reached a hand up to rest along her neck. Not quite pushing into her gland, but still making delicious contact, enough to make her mouth water.

“I want to see you,” he agreed. “At dinner. Out for a movie. On the weekend. At my apartment. On my bed. Everywhere.”

Rey bit into her lower lip to keep herself from moaning. If he continued talking like that, she would have to rethink having sex in the Niima Outpost bathroom.

“But I do want to _know_ you,” he said, lowering his hand, letting his fingers trail along her gland as he retracted it. “Not just… smell you.”

Rey knew exactly what he meant. There were crucial things she wanted to know about him, before diving in too far. It was absolutely crazy to think of someone you just met as a potential mate. Wasn’t it? But everything about Ben screamed home to her. Was this how it was supposed to work?

“I’m going to need a lot more Vaseline,” she replied, trying to keep her arousal out of her voice.

“Me too,” he chuckled, leading her hand up to his lips to place a kiss there.

The ways his eyes had softened, the way he seemed to almost bow before her, all made Rey nearly combust with affection. She dropped her purse again and stepped toward him. Even without his aroma, he was irresistible, pulling her in like a magnet.

He seemed to feel similarly, because he immediately scooped her up and placed her back against the wall, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist.

This way, she really felt him, everything he was packing.

The delicious pressure on her cunt made her whimper, and Ben’s lips curled up into a smirk again.

“Do you feel what you do to me, Rey?” he leaned in to ask against her lips.

The difference between the gentle, polite man she spoke with on the way to the coffee shop and the Alpha she’d uncovered in the bathroom was stark. Her Omega side preened under his attention, his arousal because of _her_. She _liked_ it when he let his Alpha take the reins.

“Alpha,” she mumbled, every nerve in her body wound tight.

“I don’t know what it is,” he said in his deep voice, right next to her ear. “Something about you…”

Rey couldn’t help but grind against him, her need too strong to contain. Even though she could only smell menthol now, she was still too riled up from scenting him.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he muttered, his lips grazing against her ear. “Rey…”

“Please, Alpha,” she said, practically whining.

“Rey… are you… do you want me to take care of you?” he asked. She could hear the effort to maintain control in his voice.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she said, grinding against him again. At this point, she wasn’t even embarrassed anymore, didn’t care if she sounded like a needy, clingy Omega. This was about the connection between them.

With her insistence, he put her down, her wobbly legs barely able to hold herself up as he removed his suit jacket. He laid it out on the vanity, apparently not caring one bit about ruining it. He picked her up again by her waist and set her on top of it, bringing her to eye level with him. His fingers rested on the front of her jeans as he looked into her eyes again. She nodded fiercely, reaching down to help him unbutton her pants. He kneeled to pull her tight jeans off of her legs, down to her ankles. She felt herself get even more wet with the sight of the powerful Alpha on his knees in front of her. 

Rey leaned back on her hands and spread her legs, stunned at her own lack of reservation about exposing herself. From his position on the floor, he looked there– between her thighs. She wished she had worn a sexier pair of underwear, instead of the plain white cotton ones she was sporting. But based on the look in his eyes, Ben didn’t seem to mind. She could only imagine what the wet spot on her panties was doing to an Alpha like him, programmed to crave an Omega’s slick.

He reached up then, to run a finger along the crotch of her panties, the sudden, light contact making her cunt clench around nothing. Ben looked bewitched, just running his fingers along her slit over the damp fabric.

“I’ll take care of you,” he said seriously, looking up at her face.

“Ah,” she gasped when he pushed harder into her clit through her panties.

“You’re being such a good Omega for me,” he continued, looking back at his fingers on her mound.

“Don’t… don’t tease me,” she panted out with a pout.

He looked back up at her, looking a little shocked.

“No, Rey, I wouldn’t,” he said fiercely, seeming intent to make it right. He stood up to kiss her, clearly uncaring about how much they were smearing each other’s faces with the Vaseline.

“Come here,” he said, using one hand to cup her lower back while his other snuck into her panties.

She felt sudden jolts of electricity bolt up her body as his fingers made contact with her bare flesh. He parted her folds, running his fingertips up and down her slit, coating them with her slick. Without warning, he slipped his thumb up to find her clit. She yelped in surprise.

“Sorry,” he said quickly, backing off.

“No!” she said urgently, pushing his hand back against her. “Don’t stop!”

He had the gall to laugh against her lips before readdressing her clit, this time approaching it slowly, teasing around it in a circle. She moaned deeply when he finally pressed into it, and he breathed hard into her neck.

“Ben,” she groaned, leaning back on her hands. She wished she could smell him. She didn’t necessarily need his scent to get off, just him and his sexiness and everything about him was enough. But it felt strange having sex without being able to scent the Alpha.

He ran a finger down her folds and toward her entrance all while rolling against her clit. He pulled his face out of her neck to look at her, seeking approval.

“Please, Alpha,” she said again, more than ready for him to make her come in the coffee shop restroom.

His lips pulled up into a smile when he pushed a finger in. Rey’s breath stuttered. Although it was only one finger, it made her feel whole, her pussy finally being filled in some way by her Alpha.

“Ah,” he groaned, “so tight. Fuck, Rey.”

She felt her chest tighten as he began to stroke along her walls, curling his finger toward her belly button.

“Ben!” she exclaimed, her eyes rolling back. She felt hotter, wetter, than maybe she ever had before. She couldn’t even remember sitting so close to the edge for so long. “An– another one.”

He obliged, crooking a second finger up into her, beginning to stretch her. His fingers were so much larger than her own. He continued to penetrate her and rub against that spot that made her cry out far louder than she should in a public venue, all while circling her clit with a maddening combination of feather-light touches and hard, delicious pressure.

“You’re so good, Rey,” Ben groaned into her ear. 

She whined at the approval, at the way the Alpha was pleased with her. She clenched around his fingers, making him grunt.

“Can’t believe I can give this to you, can’t believe I found you…” he whispered, almost as if she wasn’t meant to hear him.

The thought of her Alpha finding her made her explode, clamping down and letting out a deep moan. Ben cursed into her neck, licking her gland while she rode out her orgasm. The stimulation on her gland drew it out, and it felt like hours before she could breathe again. 

Realizing her eyes were closed, she opened them again to find Ben looking at her with a sweet smile, adorable really. Far too precious for someone who had just made her cum harder than she ever had before.

“Good?” he asked, a little cockily.

She smiled back at him.

“You know it was, Alpha,” she purred, still overwhelmed.

He let out a deep hum at her answer and kissed her firmly.

Removing his hand from her panties, he held his fingers up between them, sticky and shiny.

“I want to taste you,” he growled softly, suddenly very serious. “But if I do… I don’t know what I’ll do…”

Rey was confused for a moment, but realized that tasting her cum would be 10,000 times worse than smelling her, in terms of his self-control.

Her sex-addled brain quickly provided a solution. Before she could really think about it, she pulled his hand toward her and brought his fingers into her mouth, sucking them clean.

“Fuck!” Ben exclaimed, leaning forward into her, their chests now touching. He slumped against her, his lips grazing beneath her jaw.

When she finished licking his fingers, she leaned back to see him nearly passed out against her shoulder.

_Oh_.

“Ben? Are you… did you…”

“Yeah,” he said, standing up. “I just– that was so hot, Rey. I couldn’t… I was already so close…”

“It’s ok,” she laughed, amused by how flustered he was. “I nearly came when I first saw you.”

“Not helping,” he groaned, leaning back into her to nuzzle her collarbone.

She giggled, the movement of her chest making his head bounce up and down. He gave out a sigh before he retracted again, at least looking a little less embarrassed. 

“So,” she said, “how about that dinner?”

He smiled, taking a step back from her. She shut her thighs together as he dropped his pants right in front of her. He was clearly dealing with his… situation, but Rey couldn’t help the way her body was responding to the vision in front of her.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, turning away from her and toward the trash can to drop his briefs.

Rey’s jaw dropped at the sight of his firm ass. It was pale and glorious and perfectly tight. She immediately swiveled her head away so that she couldn’t see what was dangling between his legs from behind. It was very possible she would come again just from seeing it. And both of them needed to get back to work.

“But maybe,” he continued, and she could hear him remove something and then what she assumed was the sound of his briefs being dropped in the trash, “we shouldn’t touch each other.”

With a harsh sting in her chest, she looked back at him, just as he was redoing his buckle and walking back toward her. Was he… not satisfied with her? She immediately got to work on her own pants, pulling them up her legs and buttoning them.

“Because if we do,” he said, “I won’t be able to keep my hands off of you again.”

Relief spread through her, and Rey held his forearms as he planted his hands on either side of her on the vanity still covered with his suit jacket.

“And that’s a bad thing?” she asked, cursing herself when she unintentionally wet her lips.

He watched her tongue peek out and looked hesitant, but then reasserted himself.

“Yes. If we want to actually get to know each other,” he affirmed.

As much as she wanted to explore his body as soon as possible, she knew deep down that he was right. She _did_ want this to be more than sex. They would need to use Vaseline and a healthy dose of distance for a while.

“I suppose you’re right,” she sighed, rubbing his forearm, impressed with the hidden muscle there.

“Although, how many dates should we wait until we have sex?” he asked, an octave lower. 

She swallowed thickly.

“Five?”

“How about two?” he countered.

“Three.”

“Done.”

She pressed a quick kiss against his lips and hopped down from the counter.

“Shit, Ben… your jacket…”

“It’s fine,” he said lightly, pulling it off of the counter. “Dry cleaning exists for a reason.”

Rey wondered how loaded he was to not care about soiling what looked like a remarkably expensive suit jacket. Between the extraordinarily expensive bouquet and the casual treatment of his formal wear, it wasn’t hard to assume he was wealthy.

“No jacket and no underwear?” she teased, “What ever will they say about you in the office?”

He laughed, a mild, sweet thing she wasn’t expecting. She felt her heart burst a even a little more.

“What about you?” he asked in return. “Think they’ll ever let you back in this coffee shop?”

Rey gasped, remembering at just how loud she had been, and just how long they’d been locked in the bathroom together. She whipped around, examined herself in the mirror quickly, snatched her purse off the ground, and cracked the door open.

Seeing no one, she beckoned to Ben for him to follow her. But as they snuck back into the main cafe area, she saw that their drinks had been cleared from their table.

“Damn it,” she huffed, looking back at Ben only for him to look extremely satisfied with himself.

She grabbed his hand and stared at the ground as she hustled them quickly out of the shop, hoping her normal barista wouldn’t see her.

Ben was laughing by the time they walked out. She smacked him on the arm and scowled.

“It’s not funny!” she spit out.

“It’s a _little_ funny,” he responded, leaning down toward her with a smile.

“This is my favorite spot! Now I have to find a new one!”

“Rey, I’m sure they won’t blacklist you for making out with someone in the bathroom.”

“We did more than make out,” she said lowly, looking around them to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

“They don’t know that,” he replied with a snarky grin. “Or maybe they do. You are quite loud.”

She turned on her heel and started pounding the pavement toward their building. The fact she had to return to work after all of this was a bit ridiculous.

“Oh, come on, Rey! I was teasing!” Ben said jovially from behind her as he rushed to catch up with her.

She really couldn’t stay mad at him, not when he looked so cute when she looked behind her to see him running to meet her.

“You’ll have to make it up to me on our date,” she said, doing her damned best to keep herself from grabbing his hand.

“I guess I will.”


	9. First Date

After dropping off Rey on her floor, Ben went straight up to the 49th floor instead of his own, carrying his jacket in his hand. He was a bit uncomfortable having rid himself of his briefs in the coffee shop restroom. He should be embarrassed by the whole ordeal but everything about Rey and the way she came on his hand was so astoundingly sexy that it really couldn’t be helped. He quickly tried to chase the memory of it out of his mind before his dick decided to get hard again. It was wild, the way his body was responding as if he was a horny teenager again. He could still feel her soft lips against his, he could still see her glittering hazel eyes, he could still feel her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. They had just met, but he already felt a strange sense of ownership over her. It was wrong, but his Alpha didn't care. He couldn't help but imagine how his bite would look on her pretty neck as she screamed his name in pleasure.

He entered the law firm suite where Phasma worked, greeting the receptionist and heading quickly toward her office. Phasma looked surprised to see him when he closed the door behind him, but continued to shuffle some documents around.

“What’s up, Solo?”

“The Omega.”

Phasma stopped sorting the papers in her hands and glared at him.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing!” he exclaimed.

Phasma raised an eyebrow.

“Ok, well _something_ ,” he admitted.

“Sit down and tell me everything.”

“Ok,” he said, quickly taking a seat opposite her desk. “Well, I’m not going to tell you… _everything_...”

“Oh my god!” Phasma squawked. “You had sex with her already!?”

“What? No! Well… sort of…”

“What the hell does _sort of_ mean?”

“I’m… Phasma I’m not telling you!”

“Then why are you here if you won’t tell me the good stuff?”

Ben sighed. He couldn’t very well ask her for advice if he didn’t fill her in a bit. He drummed his fingers on her desk as he nervously recounted their afternoon.

“Fine. She liked the flowers. We went out for coffee. Don’t worry, I used Vaseline, so I didn’t act like a complete moron. And it turns out she’s perfect.”

“Excellent,” Phasma enthused, finally having completely abandoned her work in favor of absorbing Ben’s every word. “So what’s the problem?”

“Well… it’s not a problem per say…”

Phasma smirked at him again and waited for him to answer.

“It turns out… we… well–”

“Spit it out, Solo. I know too much about you as it is.”

“We’re… compatible I guess is the word.”

“You mean you could smell her again? I thought you said you used Vaseline.”

“Well,” he admitted, “it kind of wore off after a while. And actually she was using it too. Also, you were right, she is on suppressants.”

“Color me surprised.”

“And… let’s just say… _both_ of our reactions were quite strong.”

“I knew it!” Phasma shouted, banging a fist down on the table, making Ben jump in his chair. “She’s your mate! She’s got to be!”

“Phasma, I just met her!” he argued, even though his most base self wanted to agree.

“Ben, how many A/O mated pairs do you know who lasted more than 3 months before mating?”

Ben thought about the limited mated couples that he knew… and couldn’t come up with any.

“Exactly,” Phasma said at his silence. “It’s because they’re meant to be and their bodies know it. You know what happened with me and Mitaka, we only lasted 6 weeks and it took that long because he was a prude!”

Phasma’s argument was pretty impenetrable.

“So… what do I do?”

“I’m not your sex ed teacher, Ben… do you really not know–”

“No, no, I know about that, for fuck’s sake. I meant like… what’s the protocol? Do we talk about it before we sleep together? We agreed to three dates before we–”

Phasma exploded with laughter, cutting him off. 

“Yeah,” she said sarcastically through tears that were beginning to form, “three dates. _That’s_ going to happen!”

Ben frowned.

“We agreed to get to know each other first.”

“What’s the point?” Phasma asked, still laughing. “You’re mates, you’re going to have plenty of time to get to that stuff.”

“What makes you so sure that we’re mates?”

“Ben, the fact that you’re here in my office telling me all this means that this is something monumental. You never talk to me about women like this.”

It was true. He never needed A/O advice like this before.

“Besides, you two got one whiff of each other on suppressants and apparently couldn’t keep your hands to yourself. That wouldn’t be scientifically possible for an incompatible pair.”

As frustrating as it was, Phasma always seemed to be right. Maybe she was right about this too.

“We’re going to dinner tonight,” he said. “What should I do?”

“Put a ring on it!”

“Phasma!”

“I don’t know, Ben. What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know… something helpful?”

“Just don’t be an idiot and she’ll probably like you. Looks like things are going well already if your big swollen lips and wrinkled shirt are anything to go by.”

Ben covered his mouth with his hand. Phasma was too observant for her own good.

“Fine,” he said, standing up. “Whatever.”

“Let me know how it goes!” Phasma cried out to him as he stormed out of her office.

Ben flipped her the finger as he left. He prayed that his mother wasn’t still in the office when he returned to work. If Phasma could see the physical evidence of his afternoon, his hawk-eyed mother would surely see it too. Maybe he could just leave early for the day without returning.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Rey, would you stop it? You look fine!” Poe said, pulling her hands away from her hair.

She’d called in reinforcements to help her get ready for her date with Ben. Finn and Poe were ecstatic to hear about what had happened, and were glad to hear that he was in fact on suppressants. The fact that he was Luke’s nephew also made them feel better. Rey begged them to help her pick out an outfit– she didn’t know a single thing about fashion and she wanted to make a better impression after the whole Casual Friday outfit disaster he’d seen on her earlier.

Finn was sick with a cold, so Poe came over and together they FaceTimed Finn to help sort through her closet and make suggestions. Rey had to shoot down the one miniskirt she owned, the tight sparkly dress she bought for New Year’s three years ago, and Poe’s suggestion to just wear a bra as a crop top. Eventually, they gave up on her limited slutty attire, and started creating some reasonable options. They settled on a nice but not-too-nice yellow sundress that Rey hadn’t worn since Finn and Poe’s anniversary party last summer and a simple pair of brown sandals. She and Ben had made plans to get dinner at a popular bistro in her neighborhood, somewhere that didn’t require anything too fancy. She didn’t want to look like she was trying too hard. She would rather be comfortable, anyway. She was nervous enough as is.

“So are you two gonna bone?” Poe asked after hanging up with Finn.

Rey turned away from the mirror to scowl at him.

“Excuse me?”

“Come on, Rey-Rey. You need to get laid. Badly. And you’re compatible!”

“Not that it’s any of your business,” she said, sitting down on the bed to buckle up her sandals. “But we’re waiting until at least the third date.”

Poe burst into laughter, not bothering even a little bit to disguise his amusement. 

“What?” she asked, glaring at him.

“You’re not going to last that long, Rey,” he responded, still laughing.

Rey stood up and opened her mouth to argue, but Poe took her by the hand and led her back to stand in front of her mirror.

“Look,” he said, pointing to the left side of her neck.

Rey gasped when she saw the hickey she hadn’t noticed before. It half covered her gland on that side. No wonder it had felt so sensitive all afternoon.

“He’s going to want to bone and you’re going to let him,” Poe said confidently with a smirk.

Rey spun and hit him on the chest before stomping back toward her closet.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for something else to wear!” she yelled at him. “I can’t wear this dress, everyone will see!”

“No one cares, Rey. You’ll be out with an Alpha. They’ll all assume you already banged in the bathroom anyway.”

Rey blushed at how on the nose Poe’s comment was. Maybe he did know what he was talking about.

She started flipping through the items in her closet, hoping to find something with a high neckline. Then, there was a knock on her front door. She hadn’t realized how late it had already gotten.

“ _Shit_ ” she hissed, instead grabbing a cream cardigan and letting her hair down, pulling it down around her neck. She saw Poe roll his eyes at her attempt to hide the hickey.

“Have fun tonight,” he said with a wink as he led them out of her bedroom. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Poe Dameron, there is _nothing_ you wouldn’t do.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

Rey grabbed her purse from her kitchen table and dipped into the pot of mentholated Vaseline to reapply the stuff to the inside of her nose. It was a bit nauseating, but it was the only option they had.

When she finally got to the door, she opened it with a smile she couldn’t contain.

Ben looked even more handsome than before, somehow. He had changed out of his suit (surely thanks to the condition they left his jacket in) and was now wearing dark jeans with a grey button down. He had the sleeves folded up in a way that revealed mouth-watering amounts of forearm. His hair looked impossibly smooth, his eyes sparkled in a way her own never did. His adorably pink lips pulled up into a smile when he saw her, and her heart nearly gave out.

“Hi,” she breathed out, already sounding every part the Omega.

“Hi,” he said lowly, reaching a hand out toward her before quickly pulling it back.

She remembered his regrettable suggestion to refrain from touching. It was a good idea, but it didn’t mean Rey didn’t _want_ him to break it and touch her.

“Well,” Poe suddenly said from behind her as she stood at the door just staring at Ben. “I better head out, then.”

Ben’s eyes quickly darted from Rey to her friend behind her. And where just previously there had been a kind sparkle, a dark glint now appeared in them.

“Oh,” Rey said, remembering herself. “Ben, this is my friend Poe. Poe, this is Ben.”

Poe stuck out his hand as Rey stepped aside to introduce them, but Ben didn’t shake it. Confused, she looked at him to find his nostrils flared and his fists clenched. Instead of reciprocating Poe’s gesture, he took a hold of Rey’s waist with one of his large hands, and pushed her further back into the apartment, all while glaring at Poe.

“Ok…” Poe said, looking flustered at Ben’s strange response. “Well, have a great time, you two.”

He nodded at Rey and gave her a wink before letting himself out of her apartment and closing the door behind him.

“Who was that?” Ben asked in his sinfully deep voice. His firm hand on her waist was leaden, and heat began to emanate from where he was touching her.

“That was my friend Poe,” she answered, still thoroughly confused by the hard expression on his face. He was still looking at the door, as if he expected her friend to come bursting back in.

“Are you friends with a lot of Alphas?” he asked darkly.

Rey’s jaw dropped. This was _not_ a side of Ben she’d seen yet. She immediately pushed his hand off of her waist and took a step back, putting a large amount of space between them.

“ _Excuse me?_ ”

She did _not_ have time for jealous, overbearing Alphas, no matter how good they smelled.

“He seemed rather… _friendly_ with you,” he said, turning to look at her. She wished she could say he didn’t look handsome, but somehow he was even more so when he was angry.

Rey nearly stepped up and slapped him.

“Did you not see the giant bite on his gland?” she suddenly yelled, her voice higher and shriller than she would have liked.

Ben’s hardened expression softened, and he looked a little dumbfounded.

“Not only that, but he’s gay!” she continued. “And even if he wasn’t gay and mated, am I not allowed to have Alpha friends? You think Omegas just go around screwing every Alpha they know?”

Ben suddenly looked very embarrassed, immediately losing the sexy, angry, strong stance he was holding and instead folded in on himself, making himself smaller. She could see the tips of his ears turn bright, lobster red.

“No, no, of course not,” he stammered.

“Then what the fuck was that about?”

“I’m sorry, Rey,” he said, stepping towards her and clasping his hands together as if he was trying to keep himself from touching her. “I don’t know.”

“Because you can walk right back out of that door if you think for one second that I’m going to stop being friends with Alphas just because we’re dating.”

“No, no,” he yelped, his eyes going wide. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that. I just saw him and something inside me just went crazy. That’s never happened to me before, I swear. I think… I think this whole thing between us is taking over my hindbrain… if you know what I mean…”

Rey sighed. He looked so worried, and honestly ashamed. And she did, actually, know what he meant. She could barely keep her needy Omega hormones in check around him, she couldn’t imagine how much Alpha rage and aggressiveness he was having to suppress.

“I guess,” she answered.

“You look beautiful by the way,” he added, tipping his head down almost to bow to her. “That’s what I meant to say.”

She was an absolute sucker for the little smile he gave her, the way he was trying to fix things. She rolled her eyes and walked back toward him, showing him that she was listening.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why that happened. Of course I don’t care if you’re friends with other Alphas, or whoever,” he said as put his hands back on her waist. “It was a weird Alpha thing. I promise I’m not normally like that.”

“You’re forgiven for now,” she replied, leaning in a bit closer to him. “But if you feel… out of control like that again… I don’t know… just tell me what’s going on.”

“I’ll do my best,” he said sincerely. 

They looked at each other for a few moments, realizing how close they were, how they were drawn together like magnets without even realizing it. He was holding her, and she had reached up to grab his forearms.

“I’ve never been jealous like that before,” he murmured quietly. “The sight of you next to another Alpha… it was like something in my chest exploded before I could actually think about it.”

Rey watched him swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing. How he reacted was clearly bothering him.

“At least you didn’t… I don’t know… attack him or something,” she said, rubbing her hands up and down his arms.

“Do you have such low standards for me?” he scoffed, goosebumps erupting on his skin where she touched him.

“No,” she answered simply. “I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on here… why our… connection is so strong.”

“Me too,” he said in a low growl, squeezing her waist tighter and pulling her body against his. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Rey’s breath caught in her throat as his hands wandered from her waist to her lower back and one slid up her spine to hold the back of her neck. She let him run his lips along her glands, a subtle way of scenting her. This was far outside her realm of experience with Alphas. How many Omegas had he scented like this? Had he ever felt this way before?

She let out a groan when he kissed her earlobe, and she felt his erection begin to grow against her stomach.

“Are you… are you using– Vaseline?” she sputtered out, something deep in her core twisting.

“Yes,” Ben whispered in her ear. “Trust me, if I wasn’t we wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

She shuddered, a burst of chills racing through her body, down to her groin. She wanted to pull him into her bedroom. She wanted him to peel her dress off of her. She wanted him to lick her glands again.

With a deep sigh, he let go of her neck, and lets his hands travel slowly back to her waist. He pulled his face away from her glands, and placed a light-as-air kiss on her lips.

“Should we get dinner?” he asked, looking entirely too smug having elicited such a reaction from her.

She squeezed his arms a final time before backing away from him, distancing herself to regain some sanity.

“Yes,” she answered, readjusting her purse on her shoulder. “Let’s go.”


	10. Jealousy

Ben listened carefully as Rey told him about her friends Finn and Poe as they walked to the restaurant, deliberately leaving at least a foot of space between them as they went. He knew she wasn’t trying to make him feel bad about the way he had reacted to seeing her Poe, she was just telling him about her closest friends, letting him get to know her. But it didn’t make him feel any less guilty about what happened. He wasn’t normally the jealous type. But after being... worked up... over her all day, seeing Rey in her apartment with alone with another Alpha flipped a switch in his brain that he didn’t know existed. It was like his hands had reached out of their own volition, grabbing her and dragging her away from the other Alpha. He saw red, and had an urge to scent her again by sucking on her glands, signaling to the stranger that she belonged to him.

“You know,” she said as they approached the restaurant, “I don’t think I’ll actually be able to taste anything with this stuff up my nose.”

Ben laughed as he realized their predicament. The strong menthol rub sort of ruined the experience of eating.

“Me neither,” he agreed. “Maybe we should just sit at the bar, eat some snacks?”

“I _am_ hungry,” she answered. “Any food will do. Let’s do it. You can treat me to a fancy dinner some other time,” she added with a wink. 

Ben swallowed heavily at the implication that there would be a time when they wouldn’t need their improvised scent blockers. He opened the door for her and followed her inside.

The hostess looked up from her station just inside the restaurant. With a friendly smile, she briefly glanced down at her seating chart before back up at them.

“Do you have a reservation?” she asked.

Ben felt a hand suddenly tighten around his forearm. He looked beside him to see Rey grasping him, her fingernails digging into his skin. Apparently the no-touching rule was suspended at the moment.

“Uh, no,” he answered, “we’re just going to sit at the bar.”

She nodded and led them to two empty seats at a far end of the bar. Despite his efforts to keep his hands to himself, Ben placed a hand on Rey’s back as she hopped onto a stool. She had a little frown on her face, she didn’t look happy.

“What’s wrong?”

Rey’s face suddenly fell, and she looked a little surprised at herself.

“Oh, nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

Rey sighed. 

“It’s just… did you not see the way she was looking at you? Right in front of me?”

“Who?”

Rey lips tightened.

“The hostess.”

The hostess?

He looked back at where the woman was standing at her post, staring at him. She looked away quickly when they made eye contact, exposing the unmarked glands on her neck. _Oh_. She was an Omega.

“Rey… are you… were you _jealous_?” he laughed. The concept that he could possibly notice anyone else when she was right next to him was ludicrous.

“Don’t laugh at me,” she said fiercely as he turned back to face her. He was shocked to see that she was actually _angry_.

“I’m sorry,” he said immediately, grabbing her hand. “I’m not laughing at you. I just… I didn’t even notice her at all.”

Rey looked a little comforted by that, but still a little put off. He leaned in toward her to whisper.

“Trust me, there is no one that even remotely interests me besides you.”

She smiled a little at that, making her adorable dimples form on her cheeks. He wanted to kiss them.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “She was just so blatant about it. I guess I know how you feel now. This is all so strange.”

It took a second for him to realize that she was talking about his reaction to Poe. It made more sense now. She was just as susceptible to this bizarre connection fueled by hormones and pheromones as he was.

The rest of their evening was far smoother. They enjoyed some drinks– beer for Rey, a gin and tonic for him. She laughed as he told her about the odd couple that was his best friends Phasma and Mitaka, and his frenemy at work, Hux. They talked about their theories for the next Star Wars film. He let her rub his ears between her fingers when he admitted that he was embarrassed by how big they were. She recounted the pranks his uncle pulled on her when she first started at his company.

“I can’t imagine getting to work so close to family like that. You’re so lucky.”

“I am,” he agreed. As annoying as it was, he was lucky to have a good relationship with his parents and uncle. Especially with how poor everything was with his grandfather before he passed.

“What about you?” he asked. “Is your family still back in Jakku?”

The smile she had worn most of the night faded away. She looked down at her drink, and started picking at the label.

“Actually, um. I don’t have any family.”

He reached out for her, catching one of her hands in his own.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Rey.”

She shrugged, gripping his hand in return.

“I’m used to it, I grew up in the foster system. I have more friends here in Coruscant than I ever did back there. I’m not ever going back.”

“Your friends are lucky to have you,” he said, absentmindedly rubbing circles over the gland on the inside of her wrist with his thumb, trying to make her feel better.

She shrugged again, not looking convinced.

“Hey,” he said, trying to cheer her up. “You can have my uncle. He seems to like you a lot.”

A corner of her mouth pulled up, and her eyes regained a bit of life. 

“He’s kind of crazy,” she said.

“He’s _extremely_ crazy,” he corrected her. “But that’s what makes a good uncle.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” she said with a smile.

“Do you want some food?” he asked, realizing he had yet to feed her.

“Yeah,” she answered enthusiastically. “I want the nachos. And the sliders.”

It was weirdly erotic to watch Rey eat. She practically inhaled her food, and occasionally spoke with her mouth full. Leia would be appalled, but Ben found it endearing. She was so naturally beautiful and completely herself. Everything about her was unexpectedly charming. She was nothing like the women he had dated previously. They were typically serious, tall, and a bit confined. Rey was more playful, and far funnier. And sincerity poured out of every part of her. He couldn’t remember ever smiling so much on a date before. It was fair to say that he was already completely gone for her, although he probably could have told you as much the first time he smelled her. Half-way through the date, they each used a napkin to discreetly dab more mentholated ointment into their noses. They didn’t want a repeat of their coffee date. Well, Ben wouldn’t actually mind, but it probably wasn’t a good thing to get it on in multiple public bathrooms in a single day. They weren’t teenagers. Besides, he wanted it to be more special the next time they were intimate. It felt too important to rush through again.

Many patrons came and went as they stayed at their little corner of the bar talking. Ben felt like he could stay there with her forever, and they would never get bored. At some point, her hand made its way to his thigh, resting on it as they spoke. Their lofty no-touching rule was abandoned at this point. Ben ached for physical contact, and nearly sighed in relief when he rested his hand over hers on his leg. It felt so _right_ to have her hand there, the type of touches he saw between mated or married couples as they simply enjoyed time in each other’s presence. It was incredible, the depth of his feelings for a woman he only met today. He felt like he’d known her for a lifetime. She seemed to understand him in a way no other partner had before. Not that he had a lot of experience. Her relationship with Rey was already more serious than almost all of his previous ones.

When they were about ready to leave, they each headed to the restroom. Ben looked at himself in the mirror and gave himself an internal pep talk. He just had to keep it together for another few minutes. Walk her home, keep his hands to himself, and wait two more dates. He really did want them to know each other, not just give in to their designations. But it was hard when she kept making suggestive remarks, and waggling her eyebrows at him. Ben had no doubt that when he made love to her, it would be remarkable. But he wanted to show that he had self-restraint. He was already in this for the long haul, and he wanted to prove it to her.

He waited by the bar for her after, checking his phone to see a barrage of text from Phasma begging for details about his date. He rolled his eyes and was about to send her a quick response telling her to fuck off when he felt a hand on his wrist.

“Excuse me,” he heard a voice say.

He looked up, and saw a short woman with blonde hair standing in front of him.

“Is this seat taken?” she asked, gesturing to the stool nearby.

“No, go right ahead,” he said, stepping to the side.

She had her hand back on his arm as she slid in to it.

“You aren’t staying?” she asked, tilting her head. 

Ben pulled his arm away slowly, trying not to be rude. This is why he didn’t like going to bars, normally. People got way too friendly when they drank.

“No, just leaving actually.”

“I was hoping I could buy you a drink,” the blonde Omega said, crossing her legs and flashing him a smile.

“Oh, no thank you. I’m actually leaving with my –”

“Just one drink,” she reiterated, now reaching up to place her palm on his shoulder. “Surely you can–”

“Excuse me,” a sharp voice suddenly cut her off.

Ben looked to his left and was relieved to see that Rey had returned. Although, she didn’t look quite as relieved to see him. In fact, she wasn’t looking at him at all. She was looking at the blonde-haired woman beside him.

“Would you mind not touching him?” Rey asked her directly, pointing to her hand as if it was too disgusting to touch.

“Oh,” the woman said, eyes flashing between the two of them. “ _Oh,_ I’m sorry. I didn’t realize… my mistake.”

“That’s right,” Rey said, not letting up even after the woman retracted her hand. Ben felt a few butterflies form in his stomach as he watched his sweet girl get feisty. “Your mistake. Maybe you shouldn’t go around touching other people’s Alphas.”

The blonde frowned at that.

“Look, I’m sorry, honey. He isn’t mated, and he was just standing at the bar…”

Ben saw it the microsecond that Rey started to bear toward the woman, and lept into action. Looping his arm around her waist, he dragged her away from the bar without a second thought.

“Have a good night,” he threw over his shoulder as he practically carried Rey toward the exit.

The hot summer day had cooled nicely into a pleasant night, and the brisk air was a nice relief to the tension when he led Rey outside. He held her tight to him as she calmed down, rubbing her back in an embrace as she seemed to process everything.

“Shit,” she cursed when he saw realization hit her face.

He couldn’t keep a laugh from erupting from his lips.

“What the hell is going on today?” she asked him, reaching up to cover her face with her hands.

“We’ve both been through a lot,” he answered, smiling at how embarrassed she was. She was so cute.

“I just… like… snapped. Should I go back in there any apologize?”

“No way. You were right, she shouldn’t just be touching people like that.”

“I guess so. But she had a point. You aren’t mated. It was reasonable to assume…”

“I’m not mated,” he agreed. “But I am thoroughly taken.”

Rey gaped at his bold statement for a moment. But then, to his surprise, she grabbed his shirt in her fists and leaned into him.

“Yes,” she said. “You are.”

He wanted her to reach up, to rub the glands on the inside of her wrists all over his pulse points, his skin, mixing their scents on him for everyone to smell. He’d never seen anyone scent their partner in public, it only happened behind closed doors. But he wouldn’t care one bit if she did it to him in front of everyone at the restaurant, marking him as her property.

But what she did instead was even more extreme. She let go of his shirt to take some napkins out of her purse, and proceeded to comprehensively wipe her nose, ridding it of the Vaseline. His jaw nearly dropped, but then she reached up and did the same to his own nose. Her luscious scent hit him slowly at first, then all at once. There were her normal sweet notes, but underneath it was something far richer, far spicier than he had ever smelled on him before. Complete and utter _arousal_.

He ran out into the street to hail the nearest cab, which skidded to a halt just in front of them. Ben quickly opened the door for Rey and climbed in after her as she gruffly called out her address to the driver. He wanted to take her to his place so that he could take care of her properly, but hers was far closer. He grabbed her thigh with his hand, rubbing circles on her soft skin with his thumb as he tried to keep his fingers from crawling dangerously high under her dress. Her scent was making it hard to think.

The cabbie was a Beta, but even he seemed to recognize the urgency in their voices and appearance. Ben saw him raise his eyebrows in the rearview mirror before flooring it in the direction of Rey’s apartment. Ben struggled to keep his composure as Rey turned in her seat toward him and buried her face in his neck, nosing at his gland. Surely groaning her name would be entirely inappropriate in the cab. He closed his eyes, trying to calm down and prevent himself from fucking Rey into the backseat of the car. But it was hard when she was letting out little whimpers against his skin and her hands were wandering up and down his chest. What was only a three minute cab right felt like hours.

He slammed the door behind them after they ran up and into her apartment, and she fumbled with the lock before he grabbed the hem of her dress and lifted it up and off of her, finally. He paused, blown away by the amount of skin and curves he was seeing. She was wearing white panties, and he wondered if they were the same ones he stuck his hand down earlier. A little translucent bralette was the only thing covering her chest, and he felt his cock twitch as he saw her nipples poke against it. Her underwear was so… delicate, like he could tear them right off her body. He nearly did, but she beat him to the punch by tugging at his shirt, standing on her tip toes to try to drag it over his head. He grabbed it by the collar to help her, shivering when her fingers finally made contact with his skin, her fingernails leaving scorching trails down his chest and his stomach. He pressed against her, sure that she could feel how hard he was through his jeans.

“Alpha,” she whimpered.

“You’re being so good for me, Omega,” he growled, unbuttoning his jeans to release the pressure on his erection. 

Her hands were frantic on his pants, and she kneeled down to help him strip out of them. The sight of Rey on her knees in front of him had him pinching the base of his cock through his briefs to keep himself from coming on sight. She noticed his hand on himself, and her eyes went wide and her sweet lips opened, gaping at him. He lifted her off of the ground by her armpits, silencing her yelp with his lips as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He was done messing around, he needed her _now_.

He walked her into her bedroom and tossed her down on her bed so that she laid in front of him like a present waiting to be opened. She tried to push herself up on her elbows to reach for him, but he put his hand on her shoulder to hold her down as he knelt on the bed.

“Stay,” he ordered. Rey’s breathed hitched at the command, but she nodded vigorously and laid back down on the bed.

“ _Good girl_ ”.

He had to remove his hand from her in order to strip off his briefs, but it was well worth it when she whined at the sight of his dick, which was harder than it had ever been in his life. He saw her struggle to keep herself from sitting up against his orders, to take him in her hands.

He rewarded her obedience by kneeling on the floor at the bottom of the bed and pulling her legs toward him, bringing her core toward his face. He could finally smell her from the source without Vaseline blocking out his senses. Without a second thought, he buried his nose into her cunt through her cotton panties, inhaling deeply. Rey’s legs twitched around him as he bathed in her sweet, honey, floral scent. How was it possible to smell like sunshine?

He took the waistband of her underwear in both of his hands and ripped it down the side to avoid having to move from in between her legs for even a second. He took the scraps that were left and smashed them against his nose, enjoying her bouquet that she had soaked into them.

“I love the way you smell, Rey.”

“Ah,” she breathed, watching him filthily breathe through her panties. “You smell so good, Alpha.”

Ben watched as slick begin to dribble out of her folds, a drop of it running down her left buttcheek. Throwing her panties over his shoulder, he dove forward to lick the droplet up. It exploded on his tongue, the sweet, bitter, _perfect_ taste. He was _meant_ to take care of her like this, to clean her up when she was so wet for him.

“Bennn,” she moaned as he ran his tongue through her lips, catching on her opening and dragging all the way up to her clit.

“Sweetheart, you’re _mine_.”

“ _Yes_ , Alpha. All yours.”

He rut his hips into the side of the bed, his need overwhelming any sense of self-control. She was so willing, so open to him. His to take, the perfect Omega.

“Ben, please, I need you,” Rey cried out.

“Use your words, Rey. How do you want me?”

She let out a huff, his feisty Omega. She glared at him, but erupted in helpless moans again when he attacked her clit with his tongue.

“Ahhh!”

“Rey?”

“Wha-?”

“Your words?”

She finally sat up to grab him by the hair, pulling it just painfully enough to make his cock twitch. He liked her rough. There was fire in her eyes, a blaze he hadn’t seen there before.

“I need you inside me. Now,” she commanded him, leaving no room for debate.

He couldn’t deny his Omega when she looked so desperate for him.

“Of course,” he murmured, climbing up over her, peppering her temple with kisses. “Anything, Omega, anything.”

He felt her sigh in relief and open her legs wider to cradle him in between them. He ran his nose up and down the glands on her neck a few times, letting her pheromones permeate his body. Her scent made his mouth water, a ripe, fresh piece of fruit that was just asking to be bitten.He groaned when he felt Rey tilt her hips up to run her wetness up and down his cock. She felt so warm against him there, so ready. He perched himself up on his elbows to look at her, combing her hair out of her face with his fingers. He couldn’t help but smirk when he saw the dark purple lovebite he had left on her neck that afternoon. A temporary claiming mark.

“Are you ready?” she asked quietly, suddenly softer and gentler.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he replied simply.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. 

“I’m right here, Ben. I’ve been ready.”

“I meant my whole life,” he said, leaning down to kiss her pink lips.

He nudged at her entrance, letting her slick collect on his tip. He almost didn’t want to start, almost afraid of how far he would lose himself once he slipped inside of her. He knew he would never be the same after it.

“Yes,” she hissed in encouragement, catching his lips and nibbling on them.

He worked his way inside of her, shuddering as he felt her stretch around him. He knew he wasn’t small, that she would have to strain at first to accommodate him. He licked at her engorged, red glands to ease her, to help her produce more slick. She let out a keen wail as he finally slid home, buried deep inside her.


	11. Intimacy

There was something so beautiful about being _stuffed_.

Rey was pretty sure her soul left the prime material plane when Ben slid all the way inside her. It was like finally getting to scratch an itch you’d had your entire life. They hadn’t even done anything yet. They had just started. But the way he filled her, the way he fit perfectly inside her, there was something incredible about it.

She could tell that he needed a moment too, from the way he groaned against her mouth and stilled after he bottomed out.

“Rey, _fuck_...”

She let out a deep exhale, somehow drawing his cock in even further. He smelled so _good_ , like rich deep chocolate and raw leather. She ran her hands up and down his back, relishing the shiver along his spine that it induced. She tucked her face into his neck to breathe from his glands, which were now delightfully raised and pulsing red. It seemed ridiculous now, to deprive herself of his scent.

“Ben, please… please move,” she whispered desperately. Despite being filled to the brim, she _needed_ some friction. He hissed when she flexed and squeezed around him, and a strange sound came from the back of her throat when she felt his wet tongue slide along the sensitive glands on her neck.

“Don’t rush me,” he said with a playful tone as he continued to lick at her glands. “I’ve been patient, I deserve this.”

“Patient? We met _today_ Ben,” she argued, wrapping her legs around his torso to encourage him to move.

“I’ve been keeping myself from scenting you for a year,” he said softly, drawing back to look her in the eyes.

“A… a year?”

“I could smell you from across the building Rey. I fantasized what you would be like, how you would feel when I fucked you.”

His words should scandalize her, but she was just as far gone. She kissed him, letting her tongue do the talking.

Slowly but surely, Ben began to rock against her, pulling out the slightest bit and sliding back into her, as if he couldn’t stand not being inside her for more than a microsecond. Rey’s slick rippled against his cock, and she had never before been so grateful for the natural lubrication.

“You’re so big,” she moaned, biting his lower lip. She couldn’t resist chewing on them whenever she got the chance.

“ _Shit_ ,” he muttered, losing his rhythm for a moment. “Just for you, baby. Meant to fuck you.”

“Yes,” she agreed simply, digging her nails into his back as he began to pick up the pace.

He returned to her neck, nosing at the tender glands and making her insides melt. She couldn’t imagine ever returning to a life when he _wasn’t_ inside her, making her eyes roll back as he fucked into her with a deep, deliberate passion.

“Alpha,” she whined. “So… so good.”

“You’re _mine_ , Omega.”

“Yes… yours… all yours.”

He was pumping harder now, the delightful sound of his ball sac hitting her bottom echoing in her sparsely decorated bedroom. Her hands were everywhere, rubbing the brawny, deep-set muscles that covered his large frame under impossibly soft skin. He was so real, so solid against her. His weight on top of her frame made her feel safe, cared for. Like she could hold on to his big, warm body forever.

She didn’t really appreciate her body, and there were plenty of times when she resented being an Omega. The hormones, the suppressants, the heats… she often wondered what life would be like as a Beta. But that resentment faded now, with how delightful it was to have a thick, Alpha cock splitting her open, his heavy, warm scent surrounding her. She’d never had an Alpha outside of a heat, she didn’t think she needed one. She had been wrong. Everything about the way this Alpha was fucking her was perfect. How had she ever lived without it?

“Rey… _fuck_... Omega… you take me so well.”

She pushed her hips up again, squeezing her legs around his waist. She couldn’t get close enough, even though every inch of them was touching.

“Ah… Alpha. Need you to fuck me… harder…”

Ben instantly obeyed her, pulling out just to slam into her harder than ever. He pistoned his hips against her, the tip of his cock pressing deliciously into a spot deep inside her that had her eyes watering.

“I’ll fuck you every day, Rey,” he grunted into her ear. “Give you my cock whenever you need it. Keep my Omega satisfied.”

Rey felt a new rush of slick dribble out of her when he called her _his_ Omega again. Common sense was thrown out the window. The only thing that mattered was how he was balls deep inside of her and promising her the world.

“Ben,” she moaned. “I’ll be so good for you… I’ll be good…”

“You’re so good, Omega. You couldn’t be bad if you tried.”

“Need you to fill me, need you…”

Ben nipped at her earlobe, and she felt something start to tighten inside of her stomach. Her Alpha filled her so well, treated her so right. His scent filled every pore, every molecule in the air. So musky, and earthy.

She gasped when she felt his thumb on her clit, having reached a hand down between them to rub at her. 

“Good girl,” he crooned. “Gonna make you come on my cock. Gonna knot you so hard.”

She could feel his knot already starting to form, a thick pressure on her cunt as he pummeled into her. She wanted him to knot her and never let her go. There was no one else she would let hold her forever besides him.

“Alpha… Ben…”

“I’ve got you baby, let go.”

“I need you… knot me…”

“I’ll knot you so hard, Omega. No one else will knot you ever again.”

She nearly cried at his words. She wanted everything from him.

“Never… Ben… please…knot me, mark me… please… mate me…”

Ben let out a loud roar, a fresh surge of energy pulsing through him, fucking her even harder.

Something deep in her core exploded, sending sparks all the way up her spine through the top of her head. She felt herself clamp down on her Alpha’s cock, shuddering around it. The added sensation of his knot slamming against her only intensified her orgasm. When it finally caught inside of her, she let out a high-pitched wail, her vision going black and her pleasure reaching a peak. Ben said something that she couldn’t catch, and buried his face into the pillow beside her head as he released inside of her, his seed bursting from his cock and his knot pressed deliciously into her folds.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Ben couldn’t help but marvel at Rey’s smooth skin under the lights of the bathroom. She was still soft and loose-limbed as she led him into the shower and reached behind him to turn on the water. She let out a sigh and leaned against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. They were both still too shaken for words, even after cuddling together as they let his knot deflate. Everything about that sex was life-changing. And terrifying. Ben was shocked how easily his inner Alpha had taken over, the things he said to her while they made love. It was like his instincts took over whenever he was around Rey, his higher self was nowhere to be found. It should concern him, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. As an Alpha, he was made to protect and please his Omega. And that was exactly what he was going to do for as long as Rey would allow him.

Still at a loss of what to say, he simply rubbed her back in slow circles, appreciating the way he could feel her lungs expand and contract deeply against his stomach. Her scent was somehow magnified in the steamy shower, like a thick layer of perfume you couldn’t escape. Not that he ever wanted to escape it. He would gladly smell it for the rest of his life, the scent of honey and vanilla and wildflowers.

“Ben,” Rey said suddenly, very softly.

“Yes?”

“That was… intense,” she said into his skin.

“Yeah,” he agreed artfully.

She tilted her head up so that her chin rested on his chest and he could see her eyes. They looked red and puffy, like she was upset.

“I’m sorry, Ben,” she said, sorrow thick in her voice.

“What? What for?” he asked worriedly, holding her to him even tighter. What on earth could she be sorry for?

“I… I asked you to… to… _mark_ me… when we were having sex…”

Ben leaned down to cut her off with his lips, kissing her thoroughly. She yelped in surprise but was quick to respond, letting him explore her mouth with his tongue.

“Why are you apologizing for that?” he asked when he pulled away, now cradling her face with his hands. He would do anything to take away the sad look in her beautiful hazel eyes.

“It’s… it’s not proper. I’m so embarrassed…”

Ben scowled, which seemed to silence her. She looked so uncomfortable that Ben wanted to swoop her into his arms and lay her down on the bed and kiss away all her doubts.

“I don’t care,” he said. “I don’t care what’s proper. Rey… I… I know that it’s far too soon… but when you asked me… I _wanted_ to do it. I wanted to mate you.”

Rey’s jaw dropped wide, her expression turning to shock.

“You… you did?”

“I may or may not have left a giant bite mark in your pillow,” he replied, rubbing his thumbs under her eyes to wipe away the stray tears.

“Why didn’t you do it?” she asked quietly, as if afraid to ask.

“We just met today…” he answered. “We haven’t talked about anything like that yet. That’s something we need to decide together when we’re not… you know…”

“Busy?” she asked coyly, finally smiling a little.

“Busy,” he agreed, smiling back at her. “Make no mistake, Rey. I want to mate you. There is no one else for me. But maybe we give it a few weeks, just to give ourselves some time.”

“I completely agree,” she said, turning into his hand to kiss his palm. “I’m just mad at myself for putting you in that situation the first time we slept together.”

“Hmmm,” he said with faux thoughtfulness. “I can think of a few ways you can make it up to me.”

“And what’s that?”

“For one,” he said, letting go of her to reach behind her for the bottle of soap, “you can let me wash you.”

“I thought _I_ was supposed to be making it up to _you_.”

“Trust me Omega, this _is_ for me.”

He cherished the blush that appeared on the apples of her cheeks from the use of her designation. He was going to enjoy the way her body responded under his hands as he soaped her up even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all know i'm still uncomfortable writing smut... but ya just gotta keep doing it if you want to get better. so here it is lol


	12. Morning After

They were far too emotionally and physically drained to do anything after their shower besides pass out as soon as they hit the freshly changed sheets. Ben curled around Rey, melting into the comforting feeling of having her skin against his own. No sooner did he tuck his nose into her hair and breathe in her scent deeply when he fell into a deep sleep. Deeper than he ever remembered sleeping before.

When they stirred awake the next morning, there was already plenty of light streaming in through the window. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the brightness and looked around for an indication of the time, but both of their phones were too far away from the bed for his liking. Instead, as Rey began to stretch out her limbs next to him, he rolled on top of her and kissed her good morning. She laughed as his stubble tickled her neck when he pressed gentle kisses to her scent glands. She still smelled so _good_ , luscious honey and fragrant blooms. He wondered if it would always be this way. He may never do anything productive ever again, he was tempted to just keep her in bed with him for the rest of his life.

“Mmm,” Rey moaned throatily as he sucked on her lips. His cock began to harden against her thigh at the small sounds she made as he molded his body against hers. But when she began to wrap her legs around his waist, he stopped her.

“I don’t think so,” he said, smiling. “You denied me something last night. I think it’s time you make it up to me.”

Rey looked sleepy and confused, but her eyes lit up as he began to kiss her sternum, along the underside of each breast, and down her stomach. He slipped off the bed, kneeling and pulling her by the legs down toward him.

Was it a good idea to taste her from the source when they were already having such a hard time controlling their primal urges? Probably not. Did Ben care one bit? Absolutely not.

He grazed each hipbone with his teeth, watching goosebumps erupt enticingly across her torso. He rubbed his nose into the coarse hair on her pelvis, getting sharp whiffs of her pheremonal scent, which was increasingly smelling more and more aroused. Her chest was rising and falling more intensely now, and even from his position he could see the glands on her neck turn a bit pink. As much as he wanted to climb back up and suck on them, the task in front of him was far more tempting. His Omega was so beautiful, the way she needed him, the way she’d already grabbed a handful of his hair. He’d stay between her legs all day if she wanted him to. Damn. How did mated pairs ever leave the house?

He finally let his lips trail over her labia, teasing her with a featherlight touch. Her harsh, frustrated, breathy exhales made him smirk against her core. She was beginning to glisten now, starting to form slick for her Alpha. It made his chest swell with pride that he was able to please her this way, that he was good enough for her. He’d had sex with a few Omegas before, but nothing he’d done had ever been as erotic as how Rey reacted to him before he’d even started. The others before her might as well not even existed, nothing could compare.

He lightly bit into her inner thigh, making her emit a yelp and her hips to jump up off the bed. He laughed as he hooked his arms around her thighs and placed his hands on her hipbones, anchoring her to the mattress. He didn’t want her going anywhere as he did this. He started at her labia again, letting his nose run along it in teasing strokes. He reached for her clit with his tongue, swirling around it without ever making direct contact, letting her get worked up first. It was hard to concentrate with how potent her scent was in his nostrils, but it only furthered his resolve to ruin her for anyone else, to make it clear that he was the only one that could make her feel this way. He loved the way she’d began to gush slick now, her Omega hormones responding to his touch. He lapped it up, like an eager dog. He listened carefully for each soft ‘Oh’ she muttered, engraving the memory of it in his brain. 

He let go of a hip to bring his right hand to her folds, and ran his index finger up and down and around her entrance, readying her for his next move. He slowly pushed a finger in, nearly groaning at how tightly she gripped it, how _warm_ she felt inside. She let out a deeper moan as he began to massage the walls inside of her, finding the more sensitive areas. He couldn’t resist licking at her clit now, as swollen as it had become. He felt a rush of satisfaction when she whined his name, and felt his cock twitch when she pulled his hair just a touch on the side of painful. She was so responsive, the way she squirmed and hummed with each lick. He added a second finger, scissoring them to open her up. Ben was mesmerized by the way her lips swallowed his fingers, how they would swallow his cock again soon. She was so slick and pink, so pretty.

“Yesss, Alpha,” she breathed out, her voice higher than normal.

As much as his instincts tempted him to praise his Omega, he couldn’t draw himself away from her pussy, from licking it thoroughly. He crooked his fingers up, drawing them across the spongy spot inside that made her let out a cry. He lightly sucked on her clit now, enjoying the way her thighs were beginning to shake around his ears. He was nearly high from how her scent invaded every part of his being, how her taste now coated his tongue. He was completely surrounded by her, and loved every moment of it. A heady mix of jasmine, and sweet summer air. He tongued around her clit and kept at her G-spot, determined to push his delicious Omega over the edge. Her nails were buried into his scalp now, and he wondered if she was aware just how hard she was grinding into his mouth.

With single-minded resolve to have her come all over his face, he upped the pressure, hollowing his cheeks to suck on her clit and brushing up against the textured spot inside of her with vigor. Rey keened, shouting out his name, calling him her Alpha. His hips involuntarily rutted against nothing, his stiffened cock aching to be enveloped in her. He would dream about they way she tasted, the way his name burst from her pretty lips as he ate her out. She was everything he never knew that he wanted. She was so engaging, so funny, so confident. She made him feel at ease, like he was home when he was with her. And she was a goddess, a beautiful pussy and a beautiful soul, seemingly designed just for him. He buried his face in her folds, tenaciously trying to bring her release.

When her orgasm came, she clamped around his fingers, and gushed against his mouth. Her Omega slick was like a drug to him. Without thinking, he ran his fingers through it and rubbed it into a gland on his neck, sighing in relief. It felt _right_ to have her scent mark him like that. He licked her more gently as she descended from her peak, and kissed at her inner thighs when she pushed his head away.

Before he could even scoot back up the bed to cuddle her, Rey flipped over onto her stomach and got on her knees, leaning down with her forearms on the bed. Ben nearly came just at the look she gave him over her shoulder when she presented herself to him. He scrambled up from the floor, grabbing one of her shirts to put in his mouth and pouncing on her.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rey could truthfully say that she had never come more times in 24 hours outside of heat before. She and Ben had opened a can of worms, that was for sure. They fell back asleep after the third time that morning, and awoke again to a hot mid-afternoon. Rey’s window AC unit worked, but not well. It was hot, and her whole apartment was heavy with the smell of sweat and sex, and their scents mixed together. She opened all the windows and turned on the fans and led Ben into a cold shower to cool off (although they did have sex in there too).

Her stomach rumbled violently with hunger as they finally got dressed, and it was no wonder. They definitely worked up an appetite, and hadn’t eaten since their date.

“Do you like empanadas?”

“Yeah,” Ben said, pulling a shirt over his gorgeous chest. Rey wasn’t sure she would ever get used to how attractive he was.

“There’s a great place a few blocks away. I plan on eating at least 20.”

He laughed as if she was joking. That was ok, he would learn soon enough just how much she could put away. She smiled to herself at the thought that he would be learning a lot about her, considering they were probably going to spend the rest of their lives together. If someone had asked her two days ago if she was anywhere close to mating, she would have laughed in their face. Now, it was a distinct possibility. It was abundantly clear that they were highly compatible, maybe even more so than other A/O pairs. And she knew true pairs typically mated quickly, usually within the first few months. The pull and the rightness was supposedly irresistible. Rey had never imagined it would actually happen to her, that she would ever experience that feeling, but here she was.

Ben kissed her on the cheek and followed her out of her apartment. She got butterflies in her stomach when he held her hand as they walked down the sidewalk, and giggled when he had to duck under a low-hanging tree branch. Everything was natural between them, the awkward tension having been cut by mind-blowing sex and admissions of feelings. They talked about their future together like they’d been a couple for a year, instead of just 2 days (if you could call it that). Somehow, she wasn’t even embarrassed when she downed a dozen empanadas before he ate three. Her ferocious, abundant appetite was a huge insecurity of hers, but Ben didn’t seem to care. He just got her more napkins and went up to the counter to order more.

She took him to the neighborhood park after eating, finding a bench in the shade to sit on as they digested their meal. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her as they people-watched and pointed out cute dogs.

“So,” he said after a while. “When should we… you know?”

Rey snorted, amused by his sudden shyness when he had spent the last 24 hours grunting filthy things into her ear and plainly articulating just how hard he was going to mate her.

“Mate?” she asked, looking up at him.

She saw the tips of his ears turn pink, which she noticed happened often. It was cute. But he nodded his head vigorously.

“Yeah.”

She laughed, putting her head back down on his shoulder. They didn’t need to look at each other for this, it might be less awkward.

“I don’t think I can wait very long,” he said, sounding timid. 

She knew what he meant. Having to gag himself with a shirt during sex to keep himself from biting her wasn’t ideal. And there was no doubt at this point that they were meant to be. Every day not mated was a day wasted, it seemed.

“I don’t _want_ to wait very long,” she replied, reaching for his hand and squeezing it.

She felt him sigh in relief, and her heart sang for him.

“Should we… should we tell your family?” she asked.

He groaned at that, and she felt him kiss the top of her head.

“They’re going to be crazy.”

“In a bad way?”

“Absolutely not. They’re going to love you. And love the fact that I’m mating someone.”

“Oh shit, I need to tell Finn and Poe,” she said, realizing that she too had people to tell.

He chuckled and squeezed her hand back.

“Let’s at least wait until we can introduce each other to my family and to your friends.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” she sighed. Finn and Poe would kill her if she got mated without telling them anything about it beforehand.

“Not that I _want_ to wait,” he emphasized, which made something in her chest burst. “I’m just afraid of what my mom will do to me if we do it before she meets you.”

She laughed, pulling his hand up to her mouth to place a kiss on his knuckles.

“How about this,” she suggested. “My heat is in three weeks. Think you can wait that long?”

She could feel Ben’s heartbeat thud suddenly in his chest where her cheek was resting. They hadn’t gotten around to talking about her heats yet, and Rey instantly regretted bringing it up so suddenly. But they would have to deal with it eventually, surely he had thought of that?

“ _Fuck_ ,” he cursed under his breath. “I didn’t think it would be so soon.”

Rey tilted her head up, concerned. Maybe he wasn’t ready for all of that.

“Is that… ok?” she asked.

He looked down at her, raising an eyebrow.

“Ok?” he echoed. “Rey... I can’t fucking wait. I can’t even imagine… you’re going to… yes. Yes, let’s do that.”

“Do what?”

“Mate, during your heat.”

He didn’t look hesitant like she imagined he would, he looked sure. And ready. Rey still felt a little bashful.

“I was just thinking that it’s like, you know, traditional or something–”

“Yes. Yes. You don’t need to convince me,” he said, smiling at her.

He leaned down to kiss her, and she couldn’t help but let out an excited squeal.

It was a waiting game now.


	13. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pure fluff. back to the action next.

"So there she was, pissed off about a calculus exam and extremely drunk…”

Rey rolled her eyes. Finn and Poe were having _way_ too much fun telling Ben all her embarrassing stories from college as they all had dinner together for the first time. Ben squeezed her hand under the table, the sweet man. Rey took a sip of beer, letting it all happen.

“It was a physics exam,” Poe corrected his mate.

“Yeah, whatever. Anyway, she climbed up onto the bar and started yelling at everyone about the importance of molluscs. Then she took her shirt off and they kicked her out.”

“Molluscs _are_ important,” she argued.

Ben laughed, smiling at her kindly. He and her friends were getting along well. Ben had even apologized to Poe for what happened when they first met. Being an Alpha himself, Poe understood the compulsion to be overly protective of his Omega. All was forgiven quickly.

“And she hasn’t been to that bar since,” Finn added.

“It’s embarrassing.”

“I think it’s hot,” Ben said, bumping his shoulder against hers. He turned back to her friends on the other side of the booth. “So when did you two get together?”

“Four years ago,” Finn answered. “Rey and I were sophomores and Poe was a TA in her department.”

“What he means to say is that one time he dropped off a sweater to me in lab class and immediately started hitting on my engineering TA,” she clarified.

“If he hadn’t done it, I would have,” Poe said, smiling sweetly at his mate.

Rey pretended to make barfing sounds.

“Laugh it up, Rey. You called us the minute you met Ben and started swooning over his scent,” Finn said smugly.

Rey gaped at them.

“No I did not!”

“Yes she did,” Poe said.

Ben turned toward her, cocking an eyebrow. 

“Swooning?” he asked devilishly. Rey cursed how handsome he looked when he gave her that cheeky smile.

“Like _you_ didn’t send me _flowers_ before we even spoke.”

Ben had the wits to look a little embarrassed, having been called out.

“You two are sickening,” Poe said, pointing his fork at them. “Although I’ve got to tell you Ben, it’s going to be _so_ nice to have you around so Rey isn’t constantly third wheeling.”

“Hey!”

“Sorry, Rey-Rey, but Finn and I have been waiting for this moment for four years.”

“I’m sure my friends are also happy,” Ben said. “Actually, it would be nice if we all hung out together some time. Phasma and Mitaka are great, and they’re dying to have more couples to hang out with.”

“I’d love that,” Rey said, smiling at him. She’d met Phasma earlier, when Ben took her up to her law firm on the 49th floor after lunch. Rey could tell immediately why she and Ben were such good friends. Phasma was bold, and honest, just like Ben. And she could tell that she would have no problem telling him off or dealing with his nonsense. And yet she was loving, Rey felt it the moment the woman embraced her. She saw a muscle under Ben’s left eye twitch when his Alpha friend hugged her, but she knew it was purely his biology. For one thing, Phasma was mated. For another, Rey was straight. When they talked about it, they predicted that both of their small, possessive reactions would probably fade once they mated. Rey still felt herself glaring at every Omega that delivered their take out food or passed by them on the street, and she was ready for that crazy, compulsive behaviour to be over.

“And actually, speaking of double and triple dates, Ben, that work friend you mentioned, Hux?” she asked.

“Frenemy, but go on.”

“My friend Rose really likes him. We should set them up.”

“Uh, ok. I don’t know how to do that but I’ll do whatever you tell me too.”

“Good boy,” Finn teased him.

Ben smirked, and excused himself to the restroom.

“Peanut,” Finn hissed at her as soon as Ben made his leave. “When are you mating that piece of man meat?”

“Shhhhh,” she shushed him. She did _not_ want to talk about mating in such a public place. “Chill, dude. We met _four_ days ago.”

“So?” Poe asked. “It’s so obvious how high your compatibility is. Biology has given you the go-ahead. Plus you already had sex.”

“We’re waiting to introduce each other to all our friends and family. Hence…” she gestured between them.

“Ugh,” Finn said, rolling his eyes. “Boring.”

“Excuse me! You two waited a whole month!”

“Yeah but we didn’t nearly faint whenever we smelled each other. Plus Poe was at a conference one of those weeks.”

Rey rubbed at the mentholated ointment under her nose. They mostly did ok without it now that they were having regular sex, but decided to use it in situations like this so they wouldn’t be distracted.

“We’re going to do it during my heat,” she whispered at them, trying to be discreet.

Poe frowned, and looked at the date on his phone.

“But that’s still two and a half weeks away.”

“Ok, first of all, it’s disturbing that you track it.”

Poe shrugged, looking unbothered.

“Second of all, won’t it make it more… special? I don’t know.”

“Could be,” Finn answered. “We couldn’t wait for mine. But I’ve heard of a lot of people doing that.”

“True,” Poe relented. “I’m just surprised you’re showing this much restraint based on how you two reacted when you first met.”

She blushed at the memory of the extremely unsanitary things they did in the Niima Outpost bathroom.

“It hasn’t been easy,” she admitted. 

“Yeah, we can tell,” Finn said, laughing, pointing to her neck.

Rey frowned, and grabbed the scarf she’d taken off in the warm restaurant and looped it back around her neck. Her chest and neck were littered with hickeys, thanks to her Alpha. She had to wear a turtleneck and scarf to work, even though it was peak summer. The last thing she wanted was for his _uncle_ of all people see just how much his nephew was defiling his employee. She’d scolded Ben about it, but he didn’t look very regretful. She could tell that he liked having some sort of mark on her, since the one he really wanted wasn’t there yet. Stupid Alpha instincts. As revenge, she’d sucked a mean one right under his Adam’s apple, so there was no hiding it. But he certainly didn’t seem displeased with it, she caught him admiring it in the mirror later.

“Did you all know that they’re doing a Star Wars marathon at the old theater on 5th Avenue next Saturday? The original trilogy,” Ben asked with a bright enthusiasm as he reapproached the table, looking at his phone.

“Really? We should go!” Rey said excitedly.

“Definitely,” he agreed as he took his seat in the booth.

“Well, now we _know_ they’re perfect for each other,” Finn said, shaking his head.

“Thank god,” Poe said. “Now we never have to watch Star Wars again.”

“You guys don’t like Star Wars?” Ben asked, sounding a bit surprised.

“Nope,” Poe replied. “Rey makes us watch it with her all the time. It’s a drag. But now she has you!”

Rey stuck her tongue out at Poe, but was actually very happy to have a more willing friend to participate. Plus she could have sex with this one. She leaned into her Alpha, showing her appreciation. Ben slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close.

“I’ll watch Star Wars with you anytime,” Ben whispered in her ear, making her stomach flutter. Was it weird to be aroused by that promise?

“Oh, Ben,” Finn said. “I meant to tell you, our anniversary party is the weekend after next. Yes, we have anniversary parties for our mating. Yes, it’s weird. You’re invited, of course. Rey will be there so I assume you’ll be there too.”

“That’s a reasonable assumption,” he replied with a cute grin.

“What’s the theme this year?” Rey asked. Her friends were wild about themed parties.

“It’s pirate-themed!” Poe exclaimed, waving his hand through the air for a dramatic effect. “Ben! You should be Jack Sparrow! You’ve got the hair and I bet you would look great in some black eyeliner. Plus some high waisted black pants… actually you know what you might as well go topless...”

Ben’s eyes widened and Rey immediately looked to his ears which she knew would turn red, and was pleased to watch the very tips of them peeking out of his hair turn a vibrant shade of pink. She wanted to nibble on them, but she could wait until they got home. Although, they were planning to stay at their own places tonight in an attempt to show some semblance of self-control. She’d have to nibble them before they parted.

“He’s kidding,” Finn interrupted Poe, trying to reassure Ben. “An eyepatch and a fake sword will do. _We_ need to be the best looking, so it’s better if you stick to something simple. We don’t need you overshadowing us on our big day.”

“They’re calling you a sexy pirate, babe,” Rey teased him, seeing just how dark his ears could go.

“If anyone is going to be the best-looking, it will be Rey,” he said, shrugging. It made her so happy to see him play along with her amazing but occasionally over-the-top friends.

“Damn Solo, you can already get it. You don’t need to work that hard for it.”

Rey threw a leftover fry at Poe for the suggestive remark. She guessed it was a good sign that they were comfortable enough to poke fun at him, but she didn’t want to scare her Alpha away.

“I’m getting tired, I think that’s a sign it’s time to go home,” she said. It was getting late anyway. They finished eating over an hour ago.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Finn agreed. “It was so great to meet you, Ben.”

“Likewise,” Ben said, shaking their hands after climbing out of the booth.

“Take care of her,” Poe said, with a slap to his back. Although Ben was almost a foot taller than him, Poe still acted like a protective dad.

“I will,” her Alpha responded seriously.

“We’ll see you soon,” Finn said as they left the restaurant and parted ways. “And I’m looking forward to meeting your friends too, Ben.”

Rey and Ben sent them smiles and waves as they left the opposite direction toward Ben’s apartment. She was glad for her scarf now that it was late evening and the temperature had dropped a bit. Ben wrapped his arm around her as they made their way home. 

“So do you like them?” Rey asked hopefully.

“Of course I do,” he answered, pressing a kiss into her hair. “They seem like really great guys. And I’m thankful they took care of you for so long.”

She scowled.

“I take care of myself,” she retorted. She was a strong, independent Omega.

“I know that,” Ben replied lowly, softly. “I know you’ve had to take care of yourself your whole life, and I’m so proud of you. I just meant that I’m grateful that they could be there for you when I wasn’t.”

Rey recognized the sorrowful tone in his voice.

“Hey,” she said, stopping them and pulling him around to face her. “It’s ok. We met when we were meant to meet. We’re here now. Nothing else matters.”

Ben still looked somber, and took her hands in his, and looked down at his shoes.

“It’s just… if I had known you were out there… I could have… I don’t know…”

“Ben,” she cut him off, “it’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault… except maybe my parents. This, right here, is everything I need. The past doesn’t matter anymore, because it pales in comparison to every second I spend with you.”

She saw a corner of his mouth quirk up by an inch as he continued to look at the ground, and she knew she was convincing him. But she wasn’t the only one who had to suffer. Ben was turning 30 in a few months.

“I may have had hard times, but you did too. You had to wait for me, for years.”

Ben shook his head, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her.

“Trust me,” he said deeply, looking deep into her eyes. “You are worth the wait, Omega.”

He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, and Rey took a moment to shut her eyes and bury her face into his chest, letting his scent overwhelm the meager remnants of menthol in her nose. His scent was more comforting now, as opposed to just erotic. He smelled like home.

They walked back to Rey’s apartment quietly, just holding hands and enjoying each other’s presence. They made good on their word, and only made out a few times before Ben left for the first night since they got together four days prior. It was a bit painful to see him walk out the door, but they both agreed that it was healthy to have even just one night of personal space. Besides, they already had plans for Rey to stay with Ben for the rest of the week, so they had something to look forward to. She smiled as she prepared for bed, again needing to change the sheets she’d laundered three times already thanks to their constant love making. She left one pillowcase out, the one Ben slept on, and held it to her nose as she fell asleep, dreaming of her mate.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“When am I meeting Rey?”

Ben’s mother stormed into his office just as he sat down with his coffee.

“What?”

“Don’t ‘what’ me, young man. When am I meeting her?”

“Who told you?”

Leia scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“Let’s see. First, there’s the fact that you smell different, right after asking her out like I told you to. Then I don’t hear from you the whole weekend, not even a work email. You didn’t say anything yesterday. Then Luke called me last night to tell me that you dropped her off at her office in the morning! You should have told me she worked for him!”

Ben sighed.

“I was actually going to talk to you today, since you were too busy yesterday with the meetings with Keller.”

Leia looked skeptical, but seemed to accept his excuse for now. She finally took a seat, and called out to Kaydel to bring her a cup of tea. Ben waited for her assistant to bring it to her and close the door as she left.

“So… I went to go talk to her on Friday.”

“No shit.”

Ben glared at her, but continued.

“We ended up going out to coffee, and we got along really well. Like… _really_ well. So we got dinner that night.”

“And then?”

Ben narrowed his eyes.

“And then what?” he echoed.

“Are you married? I can see you’re not mated. What happened?”

“Jesus, mom. Why would you assume we were married? We went on a date. You’ve never asked this about any other girlfriends.”

“Well,” Leia sniffed, casually sipping her tea. “You’ve never reacted to anyone else’s scent this way before. Plus it seems like you might have spent the whole weekend together. Luke told me how the two of you looked at each other yesterday morning. I think it’s fair to assume you either mated or are close to it.”

Ben sighed again. It was so annoying that Leia was always right. She had predicted that they would be compatible, and here he was about to tell her what they were planning to do.

“Actually,” he began, seeing his mom’s ears prick up. “We… we’re thinking about… well actually we talked about it and…”

His mom placed her mug on his desk, and stood up to lean over it with her hands flat on the surface.

“Benjamin Chewbacca Skywalker Organa Solo, are you mating this girl?!?!” she bellowed, as if she had been calling his bluff and hadn’t actually expected him to be this serious about Rey.

Ben winced at her loud volume, hoping no one outside his office could hear her.

“Yeah, yes.”

Leia smiled, and rounded the desk to hug him in his chair. He’d stand, but she could reach him better seated anyway.

“Finally!” she said ecstatically. “I’m going to have a daughter-in-law! And she’s an omega!”

“Yeah,” he agreed, letting his mom kiss him on the cheek and fuss over him. She could have her moment.

When Leia returned to her seat, she pulled out her phone brought up her calendar.

“So when are you mating? When are you getting married? Are you even going to get married? I know a lot of mated pairs don’t do it nowadays, but it would be nice. But… let’s worry about the mating first.”

Ben blushed, he hadn’t expected that his mom would want to know the exact… details of his mating. 

“Mom, I’m not telling you… that’s… private.”

Leia rolled her eyes.

“Oh please, Ben. It’s natural. I’m going to know anyway. You can see a fresh claiming mark from a mile away. Plus I just want to know so that I can plan accordingly. Your father and I _are_ going to be meeting her first, right? I trust you honey, I just want a chance to meet her before you take this next step. Oh, what about a wedding next spring? We could do it out at the Naboo house… where is Rey’s family from? When is her next heat? Oh goodness, there’s a lot to plan…”

“Mom!” he interrupted. Leia continued typing away on her phone.

“Mom!”

“Huh?”

“Listen!”

She finally looked up, stilling her thumbs.

“As much as I appreciate how much you care… I need to take the lead on this. This is _my_ relationship.”

Leia looked at him for a moment, but then sighed and placed her phone down on the desk.

“I know, honey. You’re right. I’m just very excited to have a daughter-in-law. And to see you so happy.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“So… is there anything you _do_ want to share?”

“Yeah, there is,” he replied. He really had intended to share a few details with his parents, probably just not as many as his mom was hoping. “So… we are planning to do… it… soon. But we wanted a chance for her to meet you. Are you and dad available tomorrow night for dinner? We were thinking about cooking at my place.”

“We should be,” she answered with a smile. “And if there’s a conflict, we’ll cancel it. We can’t wait to meet her.”

Ben nodded.

“You’re going to love her,” he said, unable to keep himself from grinning.

“If she loves you,” his mom replied kindly, “then I already do.”

They hadn’t actually said the words yet. Those big three. But Ben knew how he felt about Rey. And it went beyond love. You could work at love, he could learn all the ways to love her for the rest of his life. But being soulmates, that was something intangible. He could only assume she felt the same way. He already felt like a mated man, but knew it would only get better once they did the deed.

“Oh, mom,” he continued, “I wanted to warn you of something. Rey doesn’t actually have any family, she grew up in the foster system, and bounced between homes. So maybe don’t ask her about it, at least at this first dinner.”

“Oh, my,” his mom sympathized, looking concerned in a way only a mom can. She and Luke had thankfully been adopted by family friends as babies when their parents passed, and thus avoided the foster system. “Well, now she’ll have us. And I won’t ask, and I’ll tell your father not to as well.”

“Thanks.”

“You really love her, don’t you?”

Ben looked at his mom, and was suddenly hit by how old she looked. In his mind, she was still the young Alpha that was at the top of her field while raising a young child. He remembered being embarrassed when he presented, that both of his Alpha parents knew exactly what he was going through. It struck him just how long his parents had been waiting for him to find someone like they had, maybe even an Omega. His mom now looked at him hopefully, with grey hair and lines around her eyes. She looked more frail now, delicate. Still an Alpha, but his mom first. He felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for how much his family cared about him.

He stood up to walk around the desk and take a seat next to her. He took her small hands into his own.

“She’s the one, mom,” he said with a smile. “I knew it from the moment we met.”

His mom smiled back, and looked close to tears.

“Oh, Ben,” she said thickly, “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks,” he said, leaning over to wrap an arm around her. “Don’t scare her off, ok? There’s no second option.”

Leia chuckled as she patted his hand. 

“I’ll try my best.”


	14. Parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, more fluff. next chapter, i promise ;]

“You know, you really don’t have to do this every time we leave the apartment,” Rey complained.

Ben ignored her, and continued to rub the glands on his wrists along her neck, her shoulders, her collarbone, even down her arms over. He leaned in to lick along the glands under her jaw, scenting her thoroughly.

“I want everyone to know you’re taken,” he said, lowly, knowing she would understand. She knew it was hard for him to leave her when she didn’t have his bite on her neck.

“I know,” his Omega said, sighing. “I get it. But I swear I get more looks now that you’re scenting me than I ever did as a single Omega.”

“Is anyone bothering you?” he asked quickly, holding her a little tighter, possessively cupping her peachy ass in his hands.

“No, Ben,” she said, now sounding a little frustrated. She shimmied out of his grasp to grab her work bag. “And we’re running late for work, we need to go.”

“I can pick you up at your office at 5:30, if that’s good for you. We can shop for things for dinner.”

“What do your parents like?”

“Anything I make. Do you want to make dessert? You’re better at that than I am.”

“Sure,” she answered. Ben watched her as she slipped on her shoes and met him at the front door. She looked at him curiously for a moment, and bit down on her lower lip. Just as he was about to ask her if something was wrong, she grabbed him by the tie and pulled his face down toward hers. He got a quick kiss from her before she tucked into his neck and licked his gland.

“If you get to do it, I do too,” she said quietly against his skin, her voice a bit coarse.

Ben smiled into her hair. Nothing made him happier than his Omega laying claim to him. He felt a shiver go down his spine as she rubbed her nose along his jaw and ran her tongue along the shell of his ear.

“Maybe we need to scent each other more thoroughly…” he suggested, looking down to try to peek down her blouse.

“Nope, no time,” Rey said, pulling back and patting him on the cheek.

She chuckled when Ben pouted, but he let her lead him out the apartment anyway.

It was still hard, not keeping her in bed all day and night. Although they’d gotten a bit more used to their scents, it didn’t change how it made him feel. Every day not mated felt about 1,000 hours long. His hormones were still all over the place, his nerves a mess. He watched Rey’s hips and ass sway in her tight dress pants as she walked down the hallway toward the elevator, and memories of spanking her flooded his brain. Despite having sex not even an hour ago, there seemed to be no limit to his arousal when it came to her. Their inability to keep their hands off each other was a worry of theirs. In the two days since they had been back at work, they had resisted meeting up at any point during the day, knowing it would undoubtedly lead to sex, whether it be in Ben’s office, the coffee shop, or god forbid anywhere in the Skywalker Engineering suite. It wasn’t a rule either of necessarily them liked, but it was for their own good and for the good of their careers.

Rey was holding her scarf in her hand as they walked to work, seeing as it was almost 90° outside. She insisted on wearing it in public to cover up all the hickies he’d left on her. Ben was secretly happy when she left it off– everyone could see that he had marked her. He considered trying to conspicuously steal it from her on their walk, but she’d definitely be mad when she arrived at work without it. He liked to wear her marks with pride, and didn’t try to cover them up. Sure, Phasma had laughed at him for a solid 20 minutes, and Hux sent him memes about being Omega-whipped all week, but at the end of the day, he didn’t care. He finally belonged to someone.

“I can’t wait to meet them,” Rey said suddenly from beside him, using her free hand to grab his.

“My parents?”

“Yeah, who else?”

Ben smiled. His parents would love Rey. It was physically impossible to not love her. He couldn’t wait to give them a daughter-in-law. He’d had a lonely upbringing, being an only child. Han and Leia didn’t even have any nieces or nephews, it was just him. Being able to make Rey part of their family, and their future children, was something he knew would make his parents sublimely happy (although not nearly as happy as him).

“Do you think they’ll like me?” she asked.

“Of course,” he responded immediately. 

Rey didn’t look convinced, her little button nose wrinkled. His poor girl had a lot of insecurities, no doubt because of her rough childhood. He wished so badly that he could take them all away. He would try to do so every day of his life.

He squeezed her hand to stop her, to make sure she was looking at him when he said this.

“Rey,” he said firmly, hoping she would believe him. “They’re going to love you. They’re so excited to meet you, they’re so ready to spend time with you. And trust me, they already like you based on the fact that both I and Luke like you.”

She looked at him with wide eyes, and he watched her take a deep breath as she processed what he said. She nodded slowly, and looked perhaps a little more convinced.

“Ok,” she relented. “I’m excited to meet them too, obviously. Nervous, but excited.”

He leaned forward to kiss her forehead, appreciating her honesty. 

“It’s going to be fun, no need to be nervous. If anyone should be nervous, it should be me. I’m the one they’re going to try to embarrass,” he said with a grin, trying to cheer her up.

It made her breathe out a choked laugh, much to his relief.

“It’s just all so surreal,” she said, squeezing his hand back and starting them back on their walk to work. “I mean… your _parents_. It’s all happening so quickly.”

Ben’s heart fluttered. Was she having second thoughts? About him? About all of it?

She must have detected in the shift in his scent, because she tugged on his hand as he glared at the sidewalk.

“It’s _good_ Ben. It’s good. This is it, Ben,” she assured him. “We’re it, right?”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “Yes. I just don’t want to… you know… push you.”

“I appreciate that, Ben, I do,” she said sincerely. “But you’re not pushing me. I need to face my fears. And I’m so _ready_ to mate you. And everything that comes with. I promise.”

He breathed out, trying to let the panic flow out of him. He wished they could stop, talk this out. But they were running late, and Rey seemed sure. Her voice wasn’t wobbling, she didn’t hesitate. Although they met only a week ago, he knew her. He knew how to read her emotions, how to pick up on how she was feeling. And she sounded confident, certain.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Oh, Ben, she’s so much smarter than you!” Leia teased.

“Oh, no,” Rey responded, feeling her face heat up.

She looked beside her to see Ben laugh, then place his hand on her back.

“I think Luke would agree,” he said.

Han chuckled, and took another sip of his whiskey. Dinner had gone exceptionally well, and now they were sitting in Ben’s living room, enjoying after-dinner drinks and slices of a key lime pie that Rey made. Ben was the better cook, she was the better baker. She was so relieved that Ben’s parents seemed to like her. She was extremely nervous at first. She’d never had to impress any parents before, and she wasn’t exactly sure how to do that, not having any of her own. Ben had encouraged her to just be herself, which wasn’t very helpful. In the end, Rey did her best to put on a nice outfit (with a high neckline), make a tasty dessert, and appear to be good enough for their son. She was nearly shaking with nerves when they first arrived, but his parents were so kind that she settled down before they even sat down to eat. Leia and Han were lovely, and seemed genuinely excited to meet her. It was so sweet, how much they cared about Ben and how happy they were for him to find a mate. They spent dinner getting to know each other, and by the end Ben had to beg his mom to stop her telling stories about his angsty teenage self.

“I still can’t believe you worked for Luke all this time and you two never crossed paths,” Han said.

Rey thought Ben’s dad was _very_ handsome, and often wore the same half-smile that Ben sported. And of course his mom was beautiful. Now she knew where his good looks came from.

“Well,” Rey said. “I have to admit. I could smell Ben in the building the whole time I’ve worked there. I just never tried to find him.”

“That’s funny,” Han said. “Leia told me it was the same for Ben.”

“Yeah,” Ben agreed, the tips of his ears turning pink. She and Ben knew this about each other, but she didn’t know how much his parents knew about their meeting. She was beginning to realize just how close Ben was with his parents, especially his mom. It made sense, seeing as they worked together.

“Well I’m glad it all worked out in the end,” Leia said, reaching over to hold her husband’s hand.

Rey’s eyes nearly welled up, watching Ben’s parents. Even though they were both Alphas, they were the perfect pair, you could see the love rolling off of them. She imagined herself and Ben like that some day, so perfectly at ease with each other, eating dinner with their adult children. It was certainly a nice dream.

“So Ben tells me you have some planes?” Rey asked Han. She was surprised that she hadn’t gotten a chance to bring it up yet.

“Yup,” Han answered. “Up on the outskirts of Chandrila. Are you interested?”

“Absolutely!” she answered excitedly. “Of course I’ve only ever built car engines, but I’d really like to get a chance to check out your planes.”

Han smiled.

“Great,” he said. “Maybe you can help me get one of them off the ground.”

Rey laughed.

“I’d love to!”

She felt Ben rub her back, enjoying the comforting feeling of it. She glanced over at him to see him looking at her fondly, and had never felt so loved in her life, to have a future mate and a future family.

“I also need to get her out to Naboo,” he said to his parents.

“Oh, absolutely,” his mom answered. “Have you ever been, Rey?”

“No, I haven’t,” she said, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. “I’ve actually never been outside of Coruscant. Since I moved here from Jakku, I mean.”

“It sounds like Ben will have a chance to be a tour guide,” Han said cheerily, with no sign of judgement. “I’d never been either until I met Leia. Her mom’s side of the family is from there.”

Rey nodded, excited to get the chance to explore the world with Ben, especially a place with so much importance to his family.

“Well, kiddos,” Leia said, patting Han on the knee. “It’s getting late, and we all have work tomorrow.”

Rey stood to clear their plates as they all said their goodbyes.

She was surprised by a big hug from Han at the door.

“Just let me know when you get a free weekend,” he said to her. “We can head up to Chandrila. Taking Ben is optional,” he said with a wink.

Rey laughed with her soon-to-be father in-law when they saw Ben roll his eyes. She was also starting to understand where Ben’s sense of humor came from.

Leia also hugged her goodbye, with a warm type of hug that only a mother can give. Rey wanted to stay in her arms for hours, but she politely let go, and Leia rubbed her back soothingly.

“You can come up to our office anytime,” she said, reaching down to hold her hands. “Let me know if Luke gives you any trouble.”

“I will,” she reassured her. Her heart felt warm and heavy in her chest, feeling so much like she had a proper family, like she belonged.

“I understand you’re busy, though. Who knows? Maybe by the next time we see you, you’ll be mated!”

“BYE, Mom,” Ben said, pushing her out the door as his dad chuckled. He bent down to allow Leia to give him one last kiss on the cheek before shutting the door on them.

Rey laughed, thoroughly amused by Ben’s parents. They were quite the characters.

“Sorry about that,” he said, walking up to her to circle his arms around her waist.

“Do you think they liked me?” Rey asked, still a little insecure. _She_ thought it went well, but Ben knew his parents better.

“Are you kidding? They love you.”

Rey blushed, and felt a tear slip out of her eye. She didn’t realize just how much energy and emotion she’d invested in this evening, and it appeared to all be spilling out.

“Hey, hey,” he said with a frown, lifting his hands up to cup her cheeks. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said, feeling more tears stream down her face. “I’m just glad they like me.”

Ben looked relieved, and seemed to recognize her crying for what it was– a release. He wrapped her up in his arms again, and held her tightly.

“Making you part of my family is a dream come true,” he said quietly into her hair, making her cry harder.

They stood there for a few minutes, just rocking back and forth gently. Rey was again struck by how grateful she was for Ben, that he just seemed to understand her. Even when she was ugly crying over nothing. After a while, her breathing began to even out, and she wiped away the last tears with the sleeve of her shirt. Thankfully, she hadn’t worn any makeup.

Ben pulled back to look at her.

“Better?” he asked, stroking her hair.

“Better,” she breathed out with a smile. She really did feel a thousand pounds lighter.

“Good,” he said, leaning in to kiss her softly.

She hugged him again, feeling so comforted by his warm scent. She almost felt like she didn’t deserve to be surrounded by it for the rest of her life. She ran her hands up and down his chest, appreciating the solid, real warmth of him.

“Let’s clean up, so that it’s done and we don’t have to worry about it,” she said.

“Ok,” Ben agreed, kissing her forehead again before heading to the dining table to clear dishes.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rey woke up the next morning with a headache. She’d only had one glass of wine, so surely she couldn’t be hungover. For once, they’d both been too exhausted for sex, after the whirlwind of a week they’d had. They fell asleep soundly last night. Rey could hear that Ben was already up, as she heard the shower running. He probably already went for a run. As much as she wanted to join him in the shower, she couldn’t bring herself to get out of bed. She knew he would get her up in time to get to work. Burrowing her nose into Ben’s pillow, she let her eyes drift shut, trying to will away the migraine.

Ben woke her up eventually with a kiss with a generous amount of tongue, and she dragged herself out of bed. Probably some water and breakfast would do her good. She made eggs for them, having already familiarized herself with Ben’s kitchen. They’d already discussed where they were going to live, and Rey had easily agreed to moving in with him. His apartment was bigger and nicer, and closer to work. Her yearly lease at her place ended in two months anyway, so it was perfect timing.

She set the table with the food and coffee and water as Ben got ready and performed his extensive hair-styling routine. It was something she teased him for relentlessly, but couldn’t deny the spectacular results. Especially when she ran her hands through it while he ate her out.

Ben watched her pop an ibuprofen as they sat down.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

She could smell the shift in his scent, his sudden worry. Overprotective Alphas.

“I’m fine, just a headache,” she assured him, taking a big bite of eggs.

Ben still looked worried, and Rey wondered if he was always going to be paranoid about her. Although, she couldn’t argue with the fact that it felt so good to be cared for so intensely, after a lifetime of having no one to worry about her.

“Ben, I’m fine,” she emphasized. “Eat up.”

He did, keeping an eye on her as he did so. Rey scarfed down her breakfast quickly, then hurried to get dressed in one of the extra work outfits she had in Ben’s closet. The dress pants felt so itchy as she pulled them up her legs, so she ditched them and pulled out a skirt instead. It wasn’t much better. She cursed the summer, wishing it wasn’t so hot. Coruscant wasn’t nearly as warm as Jakku, but it was annoying all the same, especially in work clothes. She went into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face and brush her teeth. The usually pleasantly minty toothpaste tasted gross on her tongue, and the bright lights above the vanity weren’t helping her headache. Why did she feel so crappy today?

She and Ben took some coffee to go over ice, quickly scented each other, and walked to work. It was so easy between them now. She enjoyed making him laugh, seeing the corners of his mouth quirk up and lines around his eyes to wrinkle. She still couldn’t believe she was so lucky, that she’d get to spend every day with him for the rest of her life. The craziest part was that it didn’t scare her, this concept of forever. She just felt so ready for it, even after such a short amount of time. His scent did that to her. Not just his scent, but everything about him. She was ready to make a home in him.

He dropped her off at her floor, rubbing his wrist one last time across the glands on her neck. As antiquated as it was, she couldn’t deny that it made her feel better. She did the same to him, and she could have sworn she saw the front of his slacks tent a little. Her mouth watered at the sight, and that’s when she knew she had to walk away and scurry into work. She would have to address that later.


	15. Into Heat

Rey leaned her head back, staring at the overhead fluorescent lights for a moment before closing her eyes and letting out a hum. Contemplating, she realized that she didn’t get anything done all morning. She sat at her desk, on her computer, looking at designs, but her to-do list remained unmarked in front of her. How had it already been two hours? She opened her eyes and stared off into space, letting her headache take hold. It had gotten worse over the course of the morning. She didn’t often get sick, and this didn’t feel like the typical summer cold. It didn’t feel like anything she’d had before. Headaches, a tight chest, restlessness despite an overwhelming sense of fatigue.

She really didn’t have time to get sick. She was going to fall behind at work in two weeks anyway, during her heat. She needed to get a lot done before then. 

Maybe she needed more coffee. She hadn’t been sleeping a lot recently, thanks to her nightly and daily bedroom activities with Ben. She couldn’t keep a smile off of her face as she thought about him while walking to the break room. While she fired up the Keurig, she thought about what would happen in a few weeks, during her heat. Ben would keep her in bed and treat her like a queen. Instead of being dicked down by a nice but not-special Alpha who didn’t know what she liked, or having to satisfy herself with a variety of toys and dildos, she was going to go through it with her _mate_. The man who’d completely unraveled her existence in just a few days. Just imagining him finally biting her for real made her breath quicken, and her legs feel a little weaker under her. She looked around to check the room was empty before bringing the cuff of her sleeve, which she’d rubbed against Ben’s glands, up to her nose. It still smelled so warm, a deep spice with a woodsy headiness. She closed her eyes and got lost in it, leaning against the counter for support as her knees wobbled. She could easily picture his rich brown eyes, the smooth pale expanse of his chest under her hands, the thick spread of his shoulders...

“Rey?”

She jumped in surprise at the voice behind her, and turned to see her friend.

“Jesus, Rose, you scared me,” she said.

“Sorry,” Rose responded. “You were just standing there in front of your coffee.”

Rey looked at the Keurig on the counter, the mug full. How long ago did it finish?

“Oh,” Rey muttered. “Sorry.”

“Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” Rey said. “Just a bit distracted, apparently.”

“Everything ok with Ben?”

“Of course,” Rey said defensively. She had been forced to tell Rose about him when she saw the hickies all over her neck, seeing as she already knew about the flowers he left on her desk on Friday.

“Ok, ok,” Rose replied, still looking concerned. “You just look a little out of it.”

Rey sighed.

“Sorry for being snappy. I’ve had a headache for a few hours now and I can’t get rid of it.”

Rose took a step closer and put her hand up to Rey’s forehead.

“You feel a little warm,” Rose said. “You might have a fever.”

“Oh,” Rey said simply. She felt quite strange, but wouldn’t classify it as feeling _sick_ per say, or having a fever. 

“Maybe you should go home and get some rest,” Rose suggested. “Before it gets worse.”

“I have so much work to do, though,” Rey complained.

“Yeah, but if you get really sick…”

Rose took another step closer to her, but froze in her tracks. Rey saw her take a deep breath, and her eyes open comically wide.

“Uh… Rey?”

“What’s wrong?”

“You um… are you… is your heat about to start?”

Rey’s jaw dropped.

“What? No!”

She watched as her Alpha friend swallowed, and then took another deep breath.

“Are you sure?” she asked. “Because… I can… like… _smell_ you.”

“WHAT?”

Rose just nodded in confirmation, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head.

“My heat isn’t due for another two weeks. You can smell me through my suppressants?” Rey asked in panic.

_This couldn’t be happening right now._

“Considering I’ve never been able to smell you through your suppressants before, and the fact that you’re… warm… I’d say your heat might be early, Rey…”

Rey shook her head, refusing to believe it. Her suppressants kept her heats like clockwork, even down to the hour. There was no way it could be _weeks_ early. Besides, this didn’t feel at all like a normal heat. She didn’t usually get headaches, and the first symptom was usually an increase in slick, which was easy to notice.

Although… now that she thought about it. She _was_ producing more slick recently. But she thought that was just because she was having so much sex with an Alpha.

“Why would it come early?” she hissed, looking around to make sure no one else could hear them.

“I don’t know,” Rose said. “I don’t know much about heats. Maybe it's because of Ben?”

The thought went flying around her mind. It sounded plausible, but didn’t make any sense. Why would her heats change depending on…   
Rey’s heart sank like a stone. In the very back of her mind, tucked into a long lost vault, was a memory of a diagram from a health textbook she read in high school about heats, and a small box that described what was known as a ‘reactive heat’, when an Omega would react so strongly to a compatible Alpha that it would send them into heat early. They were rare, but real. She vaguely remembered the health teacher saying that they wouldn’t need to worry about it, since they occurred so infrequently. And she hadn’t. Until now.

“ _Shit_ ,” she cursed. “What do I do?”

“I don’t know!” Rose said back, now sounding worried herself. “You should get out of here, right? Go home?”

Of course she should. She’d gone through heats for years now, there was no need to panic. Except for the fact that usually she had everything prepared ahead of time; food, water, a stack of clean towels and sheets, heat leave from work... 

“Ben!” she blurted out suddenly.

“Uh, I’m _Rose_ ,” her friend said, with a confused and troubled expression.

“I know, I know,” Rey said quickly, waving her hand at her. “I need to call Ben. _Now _.”__

__“Ok, yeah, that makes sense,” Rose said, now looking more sure of herself, catching up to Rey’s train of thought. “You do that. Call him and get the hell home. I’ll talk to Amilyn for you and text you to confirm she knows about your heat leave.”_ _

__Rey would normally worry about missing work in an unscheduled way, but she didn’t have time to be distracted by it at the moment. She needed Ben. Now that she was thinking about him, she felt a dribble of slick leak out of her cunt._ _

__“ _Fuck_ ,” she cursed again. “Thank you Rose, you’re the best. I have to go.”_ _

__“Go!” Rose encouraged her, choking on a bit of air. Rey could tell she was trying to breathe through her mouth. “But don’t leave the office until Ben is with you!”_ _

__Rey appreciated her friend’s concern for her safety. She was right. It was unwise for an Omega to go out alone while in heat._ _

__She ran to her desk, and with shaky hands pulled her cellphone out of her purse. She called Ben, and listened in agony as a seemingly infinite number of rings droned on before getting to his voicemail box._ _

__“ _Fuck_.”_ _

__She dialed his office extension next, but met the same fate. She was starting to truly panic now. She was sweating, from everywhere. She took a deep breath, knowing that stress would only make things worse. Her hysteria had probably already started making things worse, that’s just how heats worked. She’d been passable only 10 minutes ago, but things were quickly spiraling now that she was anxious._ _

__She decided to call the Resistance Publishing main office number, hoping someone would be able to help her find him._ _

__“Hello, Resistance Publishing. This is Bazine, how may I help you?”_ _

__“Hi, uh… I’m trying to reach Ben Solo?”_ _

__“And who, may I ask, is calling?”_ _

__“Rey. Rey Johnson.”_ _

__“One moment, please.”_ _

__Rey waited for what seemed like an eternity before the woman returned to the phone._ _

__“I’m sorry, Mr. Solo is in a meeting. May I take a message?”_ _

__“Uh… this is an emergency. Can you please check with him to see if he can take my call?”_ _

__“I’m sorry ma'am, but he’s in a meeting in the Director’s office, I’m afraid I’ll have to take a message.”_ _

__He was meeting with his mom? Surely that could be interrupted._ _

__“I really need you to get him on the phone for me. This is an emergency.”_ _

__“I can take a message for you and give it to him as soon as possible–”_ _

__“I NEED YOU TO GET HIM ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW OR ELSE YOU CAN BET YOUR ASS YOU WILL FACE THE FULL WRATH OF LEIA ORGANA!” Rey yelped desperately into the phone. People in her office were looking at her now, but she was too gone to care._ _

__The line was silent for a moment._ _

__“Uh, one moment please.”_ _

__Rey leaned back in her chair and groaned. Things truly could not get any worse._ _

__“Rey?”_ _

__“Ben!” she breathed out in relief, sitting up in her chair at his deep voice._ _

__“What’s wrong? Bazine said it was an emergency?”_ _

__“I’m in heat,” she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand. Her coworkers really didn’t need to hear what was going on._ _

__Another long pause._ _

__“I’m sorry, what did you say?”_ _

__“I’m in heat, Ben. Early,” she hissed._ _

__Rey was getting tired of all the silences. What was wrong with people? Why couldn’t they just hurry? Clearly she was in a rush._ _

__“You… you’re in heat?”_ _

__“THAT’S WHAT I SAID, BEN.”_ _

__She heard Ben mutter something off-phone, supposedly to his mother. Then she heard Leia raise her voice and yell something unintelligible._ _

__“I’m on my way,” Ben said suddenly, before the line went dead._ _

__Rey let out a massive sigh of relief, and hurriedly swept her belongings into her purse. She saw Rose wave to her from across the suite as she knocked on Amilyn’s door and entered her office. She really owed Rose after this, she was such a great friend._ _

__She didn’t know what to do after that, so she sat in her chair nervously. Could people smell her? There were other Alphas in the office. How long did she have before shit really hit the fan? She was unbelievably hot sweaty now, and she felt a bigger gush come from her core when she shifted in her seat._ _

__“ _Shit, fucking, damnit_ ,” she muttered, hoping no one could hear, see, or smell her. She tried to stay as still as possible._ _

__Before she knew it, she heard the door of the office suite open, and loud, thunderous footsteps come her way. She heard someone in the distance ask a question, but no one responded, and the hurried footsteps got closer._ _

__All of a sudden, Ben’s scent hit her like a truck._ _

__And it was… utterly _sinful_._ _

__It was hotter than normal, like a thick, humid cloud of spice coating the inside of her mouth and nose. Sweet, and musky, and good enough to lick off of his neck._ _

__He rounded the corner, and he never looked larger. He loomed over her desk, and he looked nearly feral, nostrils flaring as he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet._ _

__He dove into her neck, pressing his nose hard against her itchy gland and using his tongue to thoroughly soothe it. She melted into his arms, suddenly all worry floating away. He migrated to the other side of her head to do the same thing. It was incredibly indecent, doing this in the middle of her workplace. She just had to hope no one was watching. She was never more thankful for the three walls of her cubicle. She hadn’t even gotten a chance to talk to Luke about her and Ben’s relationship yet. She let out a moan at the feeling of his teeth lightly scraping over the sensitive, inflamed flesh._ _

__“I’ve got you, Omega,” Ben growled into her neck. The deep timbre of his voice made her cunt clench, and she knew he could smell the slick she was leaking by now._ _

__He inelegantly smashed his mouth against hers, picked up her purse, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to lead her out of the office. If she knew him at all, he probably wanted to pick her up and carry her out of there, but was showing some respect for her professional life by not doing so. Rey hung onto his suit jacket and tucked her head into his side, too embarrassed to look at anyone on her way out. She took deep gulps of his scent, which was simultaneously comforting and incredibly arousing. She ran to keep up with his long strides, and prayed that she didn’t have any wet spots on her skirt yet. This was worse than her first heat, when she gushed all over her jeans at school. It was understandable, even normal, then, for a teenager just learning about everything and coming into their bodies. Now she was an adult, her heats were supposed to be invisible to the outside world, carefully controlled and suppressed._ _

__She nearly tripped over her feet when Ben led them past the elevator lobby toward the stairwell. Apparently he didn’t want to either wait for an elevator or take her into one with other people. Descending 21 stories on foot wasn’t ideal, but they didn’t have much choice. Rey thanked heaven that she’d worn flats. They were silent as they ran down, both too anxious to say anything, afraid that the situation might explode if they spoke. She kept her hands tightly wound into his jacket, afraid she might lose him if she let go. She could practically _taste_ his cock in her mouth now that his scent was spiking in response to hers even more. She licked her dry lips, and occasionally buried her nose into his chest as they ran, getting hits of his addicting smell._ _

__Ben’s apartment had always seemed close to work, but now it couldn’t seem farther away. Four whole blocks. Ben’s arm stayed tight around her, and he growled at people in their way as they walk-ran down the sidewalk. She had imagined this heat so differently. They would have been prepared, waking up lazily in his bed and waiting for it to start. This was just stressful. She avoided the stares as they hurried, no doubt people could see or smell what was happening._ _

__At some point, another Alpha got too close to her. His scent was sour, and he smelled like ammonia. Ben roared at him, but who knows if he had gotten close on purpose or just happened to brush by them on the busy sidewalk. Neither of them could think rationally now, their instincts had taken over. All her brain could focus on was the way his thick cock would stuff her full, the ridges sliding in and out of her, his long hair brushing against her face as he grunted above her._ _

__The sight of Ben’s building was the happiest she could ever remember feeling. This time they took the elevator. Ben guided her into a corner of it and stood in front of her, facing the door with his back to her. Even with no one else in the elevator with them, he was ready to defend her. And by the way his hands were shaking, she thought he might also just be trying to hold himself together until they got to his apartment. She wanted to spin him around, to climb him right there where he stood, but she still had a grain of restraint left, and resisted._ _

__When they reached his floor, Ben grabbed her by the arm and pulled her down the hallway. Rey could feel the slick starting to run down her thighs now. He quickly ushered her inside and locked the door behind them. Lifting her up, he helped her wrap her legs around his waist and pressed her into the closed door, attacking her lips with his own._ _

__“You smell… I can’t even… didn’t smell like this earlier this morning...”_ _

__“I know,” Rey groaned. She couldn’t possibly express just how amazing Ben smelled to her. If his scent was distracting normally, it was overwhelming now, like it flowed through her brain. His lips were insistent against hers. It wasn’t sweet, it was urgent, and lustful._ _

__She could feel his cock harden against her core as he lapped at her neck, smoothing the flat of his tongue over her glands. He seemed particularly enthralled by them now, more so than ever. Rey shuddered as he suckled on one, shooting sparks down from her neck to her toes._ _

__“Gonna knot you so hard,” Ben growled against her mouth before kissing her again._ _

__“Yes,” she agreed simply. She wanted it so bad._ _

__She unwrapped her arms from around his shoulders and used her palms to push down hard on Ben’s neck. He froze, as if she had found a switch to control him. He looked at her, with glazed eyes and parted lips. She recognized the look, he was about to go into rut to meet her heat. She needed to hurry this conversation._ _

__“Ben… are you… do you want to do it?”_ _

__“What?” he asked with a blank expression, blinking dumbly at her._ _

__“You know… mate,” she said quietly, almost afraid to say it out loud. If it was too soon for him, if he didn’t want to, she might actually die, right there in his arms._ _

__He took a moment, then his eyes went wide, and his scent spiked._ _

__“What? Yes! Don’t you?!?”_ _

__Rey realized with dismay that he thought she meant that she didn’t want to, that she was second-guessing their decision._ _

__“Yes! Of course,” she assured him, leaning in to kiss him hurriedly. “I just wanted to make sure you were ready. Because… when we get started… I know I’m not going to be able to resist asking you to bite me.”_ _

__She felt herself blushing at her brutal honesty._ _

__“Oh,” Ben said, looking relieved. “Thank god.”_ _

__He kissed her emphatically, and she kept her hands pressed into his glands to keep him under control._ _

__“My Omega,” he said gruffly, taking a hand off her thigh to run his fingers through her hair, pushing it out of her face. “I won’t make you ask twice. When you ask for it, I’ll give it to you. I’ll give it all to you.”_ _

__She felt her eyes water, her throat tighten. She didn’t know what she’d ever done to deserve an Alpha like Ben._ _

__“And I can’t wait for you mark me back,” he said lowly, against her lips. “I’ve been dreaming about wearing your bite. Want everyone to see it.”_ _

__She shivered, and felt her pussy pulse against his erection as he continued to hold her tightly against the wall. She’d have her mark on him as well, declaring to the world that he was taken, that he was hers. She’d never felt so _wanted_ before. She let go of his neck, throwing her arms back around his shoulders._ _

__“Ben… bedroom…”_ _

__He looked pained for a moment, as if he couldn’t wait, as if he was debating whether or not to take her right up against his front door. But he lifted her away from it anyway, and ran them to his bedroom. She squealed as he threw her onto the bed, and gasped when he reached up to the top button of her blouse and ripped it right down the middle, sending buttons flying. She couldn’t find anything inside her to care. She kicked off her shoes and shimmied out of her skirt, watching her Alpha strip off his suit and shirt, hopping on one foot as he took off his shoes and socks. She laughed, enjoying his clumsy display. He smiled back at her, with one of those smiles that made her heart sing. She saved her underwear for him, knowing how much he enjoyed taking it off of her. She layed back on the bed, finally letting herself fall into her heat. She was safe to feel it now, safe with her Alpha who would take care of her, who would _mate_ her. She welcomed the staggering need, the abundance of fire in her core. Before she knew it, Ben was leaned over her, on her panties, nosing at the wet strip of fabric covering her. She looked down at him, and couldn’t help but moan at the sight of his naked body, of his head between her thighs. He normally took his time in rolling her panties down her legs, but now he practically shredded them with his hands. The muscles in his chest and arms were flexing involuntarily, his cheeks were pink, Rey knew his rut was about to hit. She smiled gleefully, excited to see what he was capable of. Surely he would ruin her. She reached behind her to unclasp her bra before he could rip that too, and let him take it off of her, his eyes going impossibly darker at the sight of her breasts. Her nipples were peaked, her chest already heaving._ _

__“Ben, so ready…” she breathed out. “Need you to take care of me…”_ _

__He ducked into her chest, sucking a whole breast into his mouth, drawing a straight line from her cunt to her nipple of pure pleasure. She keened, and grabbed at his shoulders to pull him onto her, relishing the heavy weight of him on top of her. She was so wet, so hot, so ready._ _

__“ _Fuck_ , Rey,” he cursed. “This is it… we’re going to do it.”_ _

__“Please, Ben,” she whined, her heat taking over. Her womb ached, and every part of her was pained by the fact that she was still empty inside._ _

__He didn’t make her wait any longer. He lined himself up between his legs, and pushed in._ _

__“Ahhhhh,” Rey let out, all the air pushed out of her at once. _This_ is exactly what she needed. Being filled by the one person who was made for her, by the man she loved without a doubt. It was almost too much, the way she had to stretch around him, the way her hips laid wide open. Although every heat was a mess of hormones and arousal and desperation, this was other-worldly. No one’s cock had ever satisfied her as well as Ben’s._ _

__“ _Rey_ ” Ben cried out. He stilled above her, his arms trembling and his breath heavy. “This is perfect… you’re so perfect…”_ _

__Rey clawed at his shoulders, desperate for him to move._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry for the delay. I've had the entire fic written for months now, but to be honest I just completely forgot to keep posting. Work has been crazy, then I had surgery, then I went on vacation... it's been wild. I'll try to remember to post more quickly now that we are finishing this one out!  
> Take care XO


	16. The Claiming

It was… staggering.

Ben slipped right in, Rey’s slick easing his way. Every inch of her skin was a furnace under him, and her wet, hot core clenched around him almost immediately. He’d never felt more like he belonged somewhere than right here.

“ _Rey_ ” Ben cried out. He stilled above her, his arms trembling and his breath heavy. “This is perfect… you’re so perfect…”

He couldn’t do the feeling justice with words. His head was clouded with lust and the urge to rut her until she cried in pleasure, just like his Omega deserved.

Rey clawed at his shoulders, and whimpered in his ear. The way she trusted him, the way she submitted to him, it was everything the Alpha part of him had always wanted. Earlier that morning, he wasn’t nearly prepared for her heat. But now, laying on top of her, her legs wrapped around his waist, he was ready. He may always have been ready to find her, to provide for her. And now was his chance to prove it.

He tongued at a gland on her neck, hoping to calm her. It drew him in like a magnet, spewing sweet, rich fragrance. It was so red and ridged and inflamed, just waiting to be bitten. He wouldn’t need to bite down on a shirt now, he could do the real thing. He pulled the bit of her neck into his mouth, sucking on it. She bucked underneath him, and wailed in response.

“Ben, please move… Alpha…”

He didn’t make her ask again. He pulled out, letting her slick ripple along his cock, then pushed back in slowly. He wanted to remember every second of this, the way her cunt parted around him and took him in so tightly. He pulled one of her legs up to her chest, and set about fucking her. Sometimes they made love slowly, lazily pleasuring each other while smiling and laughing. This wasn’t slow, or lazy. This was heavy, deliberate. She was _aching_ for him, and he would do anything to satisfy her. His rut was starting now, and he couldn’t resist pounding into her wet heat. As their bodies slid against each other, there was a small part of him that wished she didn’t have an implant in her arm, that he could get her pregnant. It was absurd, but that’s what his Alpha wanted, what his rut demanded. He shivered as he imagined her round and glowing, thick with his child. He kissed her furiously.

“Omega… I love you…”

He nearly winced. He thought he’d have plenty of time to tell her he loved her before her heat. It wasn’t something he just wanted to blurt out during sex. But it was too late now. Her heat was here, and he needed her to know how he felt.

“Ah, _fuck_ ,” Rey breathed out against his mouth. “Love you, Ben.”

“I’ll always need you,” he said truthfully, rutting into her hard, nearly knocking his skull into the headboard. 

“You’re mine,” his perfect woman said, reaching up to his hair to thread her fingers through it. The pull at his scalp sent electrifying shivers down his body, and somehow he twitched even harder inside of her. The way his cock caught against the wondrous spots inside of her, making them both cry out, was addicting. He felt a lump in his throat form at how perfect it was.

He made her wail, pounding into her tight heat, sucking at every bit of skin he could reach. He growled every praise he could think of into her ear, and coated her glands with his tongue, the heady, sweet freshness of her making his eyes roll back. He’d never done this to an Omega before, lapping at her glands so thoroughly, making them remember only his touch. He only now realized it was because he was waiting for the right woman to claim, the one who smelled and tasted perfect to him. He ran a hand down her body, dragging his thumb over her nipples, pinching them as he went. He loved watching the way her face scrunched up in euphoria, teeth biting into her plush, pink lips. She was luminous beneath him, her heat making her more enticing than ever.

“Ben,” she moaned, the sound of his name from her mouth perhaps the best thing he’d ever heard. “So good. Need you… need you to bite me…”

He roared at her words. They were so close, so close to being mated forever. He ravaged her lips, tasting her and taking from her every ounce of pleasure that he could.

“You’ll be mine,” he said, thrusting forward, hitting something inside her he never had before. She screamed, a broad smile coming to her face.

“Want you to own me, Alpha…” she yelled out, squeezing his cock inside of her.

Ben felt a sick sense of contentment with the reminder that she would be only his Omega for the rest of time. He’d be the only one to knot her, to make her scream. But it wasn’t as if she didn’t own him in return.

“Want your bite,” he responded. He had dreamed for days about the purple mark she would leave on his neck, a sign of how thoroughly his Omega claimed him for her own. “Want you to mark me, show everyone I take good care of my Omega…”

“Yesss,” she hissed. “You take such good care of me… ahhh… _fuck_... need you to fill me… come in me…”

He felt himself getting close, her words and the way her hot cunt gripped him nearly pushing him over the edge. He readied himself, lowering down to mouth at her neck. He heard her let out a high pitched squeal, clearly as excited as he was. He would need to go first, to lay claim to his mate. He thumbed at her clit, knowing that the sharp pain of his bite would be overridden by the extreme pleasure he could give her.

He waited, taking his time to run his nose along the gland on her left side, grazing it with his teeth harder than normal. She keened, and cried out for him.

“Ben,” she howled, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders. “Do it, need you… mate me…”

Something exploded inside of him when she tilted her head back to bare her neck to him, the ultimate sign of submission. He clamped down on the raised bit of flesh, sinking his teeth into it. His mind suddenly went still, emptied of any thought or sensation beside the warm feeling of her gland in his mouth. Then, his brain exploded with the scent of her, a thousand times magnified. Impossibly sweet, heavenly, like vanilla and flowers that made him salivate into his bite. He let out a guttural moan into her neck. His senses returned to him, and he heard her shriek in ecstasy. Her pussy locked around his cock like a vise, while her body went tight and convulsed underneath him. He rubbed at her clit through it, determined to distract her from the pain.

When he finally let go, he looked down at the mark. She was bleeding, but it was still the most beautiful scar he had ever seen. The perfect imprint of his teeth, a claiming mark she’d wear forever. He got to work with his tongue, soothing it as best he could, his instincts taking over. Rey mewled in his ear, letting out faint sobs as she descended from her peak. The taste of her blood was tinged with pheromones, and it was almost good enough to drink. But before he could spend too much time on it, Rey was cognizant again, and grabbing at his hair. She pulled him away from her neck, and kissed his blood-stained lips ardently.

“I love you,” she cooed into his mouth, before rolling her hips against his, ready to reciprocate. He choked on his breath when she squeezed his cock inside of her again, and he couldn’t help but smile when she locked her legs around his and tried to roll them over. He helped her when he realized what she was doing, leaning down into the bed and pulling her on top of him, never letting him slip out from inside her. Everything was sensitive, a thousand times more acute. The sheets felt different against his back, her skin was smoother under his hands.

Before he knew it, Rey was leaning over him, rocking back and forth on his cock. Her own tongue found his matching gland, and the hot, moist slide of her tongue against it nearly made him come on the spot. It was so tender, the nerves in it on fire. The only thing that would make it feel better would be for her to bite it.

“I’m ready Rey, please… need you… _fuck_... love you so much…”

He didn’t know Alphas could babble like that until he was doing it. But it didn’t make him feel any less Alpha. Wanting his mate’s mark was as natural as breathing.

He felt Rey smile against the sensitive skin, giving it a gentle, teasing kiss. She started to ride him harder, clearly determined to make him come. He knew her heat would make her insatiable, and he grew excited all over again for the next few days to come.

“This is just the beginning,” she gasped throatily into his ear, as if she had read his mind.

“Yes,” he agreed, gripping onto her hips as she continued to press her lips into his gland.

“You belong to me now,” she said, making his hips jump up when her core clenched around him again.

“I will when you claim me,” he countered. He was so ready for her to mark him back, every second unreciprocated was torture.

“Shhh,” she whispered, sitting up to kiss his lips again. “I will, I will…”

She returned to his neck, and mouthed at his gland, and Ben could tell she was searching for the perfect place to bite.

“Do it,” he whined, bucking up into her forcefully. He was nearly at his peak, he couldn’t hold on much longer.

Thankfully, without any further teasing, Rey suddenly bit down, the sharp sting of her teeth piercing his skin. Ben howled as his knot popped and he released inside of her, shooting out tremendous amounts of his seed. The rush of endorphins and adrenaline and hormones was overwhelming, and every microsecond that she kept him in her mouth became hours of bliss and agony, overruled by the intensity of his orgasm. Time dissipated has he continued to pump inside of her while she licked at the mark she left, and Ben couldn’t even hear his own voice repeating her name.

When his senses began to return, and the ache of her bite started to fade in, he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She squeaked when he rolled her down beside him on the bed, and moaned again when his knot kept them from separating. They caught their breath as they looked at eachother, each too strung out to say anything. They laid there for ages, just mapping each others’ faces and staying skin-to-skin.

Eventually, his beautiful angel smiled. He laughed in return, the look of glee too cute on her face to resist.

“Damn,” she said.

Ben laughed harder at her response, her first words after mating. He loved her so much, he wished he could do it all again.

“So…” he said, chuckling. “Early heat, huh?”

Rey blushed.

“Yeah… about that… I think it’s a reactive heat.”

Ben thought for a moment. He vaguely knew what those were.

“Does that mean… you find me irresistible?” he teased her, reaching up to brush the hair out of her face.

She scowled at him, but then it quickly turned into a laugh.

“Yeah,” she answered. “But let’s be real… if _you_ were the Omega, it would have already happened.”

“You think so?” he asked, laughing. He knew she was probably right.

She nodded smugly, running her hands up and down his chest. The light graze of her fingers against his skin made him shudder.

“I can’t believe you’re mine,” he said lowly, seriously all of a sudden. It was hitting him, what they had just done.

“Mmm,” Rey agreed, leaning in to kiss him, “Yours. Forever.”

Ben could have sworn he felt his cock twitch, even though he just knotted inside of her.

She looked at him so happily, it made his heart hurt with how lovely and contented she looked. The panic she had when he picked her up from work was gone, the nervous energy of her early heat vanished. She was just Rey now. Smooth, glowing skin, eyes on fire, body to die for. And, most importantly, the person he seemed to be made for, the person he could spend the rest of his life with and never get tired of.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Just about you,” he answered honestly. “How crazy this all is. And how glad I am that I finally came down to your office and ran into you.”

His mate smiled.

“Me too,” she said simply. “I never thought I would find someone like you.”

They laid there for a while, pleased to just rest and be near each other. When Ben’s knot finally depressed, he slipped out of her, both of them hissing at the sensitivity. It was mesmerizing to watch his cum leak out of her, and his hand burst forth on its own accord push it back into her. Her back bowed as he did it.

The keen sting on their necks became more noticeable now, and Ben looked down at the mess they’d made of his bed. Rey’s slick was everywhere, blood stains pooled under their necks, his cum white and opaque on the sheets. Rey followed his look, and grimaced too.

They laughed together as they rolled off the bed and stepped into the bathroom. Ben knew her heat would flare up again soon, but they probably had enough time to get more comfortable. They cleaned each other up in the shower, taking turns in licking at their bites and kissing like they were teenagers. When they were done, Ben couldn’t help but hoist Rey up onto the vanity and get on his knees to eat her out, the smell of her slick magnified in the steamy bathroom. She came with a wail against his mouth, and he felt a surge of Alpha pride. He let her sit limply for a bit while he brought some water and some snacks into the bathroom from the kitchen and changed his sheets, his Alpha impulse to provide for his Omega kicking in strongly. Before he knew it, Rey was writing on the freshly made bed, begging for his cock. He looked at her neck, the dark red bite still fresh and swollen. He grew hard at the sight of it, his rut rising again to meet her heat. He rolled her onto her stomach, and prepared to care for Rey only the way a mate could.


	17. I Know

Rey smiled as she saw the reflection of Ben entering the room through the mirror, looking devastatingly handsome in his tux.

“How are you holding up?” she asked, turning around in the chair.

He walked up to her and kissed the top of her head.

“I’m alive… barely.”

She laughed as his large hands came to rest on her shoulders over her robe. The warmth of his Alpha heat burned through it comfortingly.

“We did the best we could,” she said.

“We certainly did,” Ben agreed. “But Han is showing everyone baby pictures. So, there’s that.”

Rey laughed again and spun back around to look at herself and put the final touches on her lipstick. She didn’t normally wear much makeup, but figured she should make an effort for her wedding.

“You look gorgeous,” Ben said from behind her, watching her in the mirror.

“Thank you.”

She smacked her lips and rubbed a little errant lipstick off of her teeth, and turned back around.

“Nuh uh uh,” she sang at Ben as he leaned down for a kiss. “I just did this makeup. No ruining it until later.”

Ben knelt on the ground next to her and gave her a nearly irresistible pout. 

“How much later?” he asked, with round eyes and a clearly put-on frown.

“Hmm…” Rey said, straightening his bow tie and rubbing the gland in her wrist against his mating mark on his neck, just now beginning to fade and turn silver. “Maybe we can sneak out for a bit when everyone starts getting really drunk.”

Ben smiled devilishly, and winked at her.

“Now get out of here,” she said, patting his chest. “Finn and Poe will be here any moment with the dress, and you’re not allowed to see it.”

“I can’t believe you let my mother talk you into a traditional wedding,” he said, standing.

“Well she offered this house… how could I say no to a white dress for a wedding on a lake in Naboo?”

“True,” he conceded. “Although they should have waited to open the bar until at least after the ceremony. Phasma is already one martini away from taking her top off.”

She smiled, standing up to hold his hands. She was so glad everyone had been able to come, especially all the way out to Naboo. Phasma and Mitaka were here along with Rose, and, to her delight, Hux. A wedding was the perfect time to set them up. Luke was going to walk her down the aisle, and Finn and Poe were helping her get ready. Han and Leia were busy playing host and hostess, and a variety of other people from their workplaces were there too. She already met Ben’s ‘uncles’, Chewie and Lando, and a family friend Maz was tending bar. It sounded like things were already getting rowdy downstairs.

Soon, everyone would gather outside and stand by the gazebo on the lake, and she and Ben would say their vows. Nothing could compare to the vow they’d already made to each other in mating, but it was touching all the same to share this with their friends and family. Rey had never allowed herself to imagine something like this, a whole house full of people who loved her and supported her. They would stand at the end of the aisle alone, needing only to make promises to each other. They already had their marriage certificate, and the marks on their necks meant more than any piece of paper. This day was to welcome their loved ones into their life together, and an excuse to party. Rey was a bit jealous that Ben got to mingle and drink with everyone while she got ready. She was _so_ going to out- party him later.

“Love you,” she said, unable to resist placing a light kiss on his mouth, careful of her makeup.

“Love you more,” he said, squeezing her hands. He brought one up to his mouth, and grazed his lips over her knuckles. He looked at her for a moment, then seemed to make up his mind as he ducked into her neck to place a kiss against her gland. The bite mark tingled anytime he did that, and it always gave her butterflies. She couldn’t wait to have him all to herself later.

A knock at the door interrupted them.

“Ben, Rey!” Finn’s voice shouted. “You’re not doing it in there, are you? Can we come in?”

“Come in!” Rey responded, rolling her eyes.

The door opened to reveal her best friends looking very handsome in their best suits. Poe held a dress bag up above his head, and waved at Ben.

“Get out of here, hot stuff. No peeking at the dress!”

“Fine,” Ben drawled, squeezing Rey’s hands one last time. “See you out there, sweetheart.”

“See you,” Rey smiled, watching her fine mate walk out.

“Girl, when did you get so good at make-up?” Finn asked, reaching up to Rey’s buns to let them down. Ben really loved her hair down, so she wanted to surprise him by wearing it that way for the wedding. Finn got to work, sitting her back down in the chair and pulling out hair styling tools they had borrowed from Rose.

“Do you know how to use those?” Rey asked skeptically.

Finn scoffed.

“I’m a gay Omega, I’ll figure it out,” he said, turning her head toward the mirror with his hands.

“I brought you something, Rey,” Poe said from across the room, with a little too much mischief in his voice.

She tried to turn her head to look over at him, but Finn kept her from moving as he brushed her hair.

She had to wait until Poe walked over, and it took a second for her to recognize what he was holding up in the mirror.

“POE DAMERON!”

To her horror, Por was holding up two full sets of lacy, scrappy, complicated-looking lingerie. One set in white, one in black.

“What? It’s your wedding! When else do you get a chance to go all out?”

She blushed. She _had_ brought some new, nice sets of underwear with her. But they looked like granny panties compared to what Poe was holding.

“The white one is for today, you know… the whole virginal bride thing… and the black one is for your honeymoon!”

“We’re going to Hoth for our honeymoon!”

“Yeah, for _skiing_. I’m sure the five star hotel you’re staying at will be heated, Rey.”

Rey sputtered, unable to come up with any excuses.

“Anyway,” Poe continued, “I couldn’t just get one when I saw them both! You know he loves you in black.”

It really was disturbing how invested her friends were in her love life.

She considered it for a moment. Since fall in Naboo was rather cool , her dress _was_ long sleeve and pretty modest, so she could really wear any type of underwear under it without risk of it showing. The white would probably look nice on her tan skin, and she knew Ben would enjoy it when he took her dress off.

“Just wear it, Rey,” Finn encouraged her. “I can see it in your eyes that you want to.”

“Fine,” she relented, folding her arms across her chest. She hated it when they were right.

“Just don’t tell Ben I bought them for you,” Poe said. “He might go all Alpha on me. In fact… I probably shouldn’t even be touching them now.”

He laid them out on the bed carefully, avoiding touching anything but the hangers they were on.

“I need a favor,” Rey told her friends. “So you know Hux, Ben’s coworker, the redhead?”

“The guy who looks like he has a pencil shoved up his ass?”

Finn turned to slap his mate on the shoulder.

“Hey, I didn’t say he wasn’t hot,” Poe protested. “But yeah, what about him?”

“Rose likes him. Do you think you guys could set them up tonight?”

“Hell yeah,” Finn responded, smiling. “Leave it to us.”

“Thanks,” she said. “She’s nervous because she’s never dated an Omega. Be gentle on her, please.”

“Her first Omega? Oh, this will be fun,” Finn said gleefully, putting down the hairbrush to rub his hands together.

“ _Gentle_ , I said,” Rey repeated, glaring at her friend.

“Consider it done,” Poe chimed in, unzipping the garment bag to reveal Rey’s dress. She, Leia, and Phasma cried up a storm when they chose it, and Rey hadn’t seen it since. She hoped she would be able to keep it together and not ruin her makeup.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So,” Hux said, nudging Ben in the stomach with his elbow, “are you ready?”

“Yes,” he answered confidently, taking a sip of whiskey. “I’m excited.”

“Brilliant,” Hux replied. “It was time at least one of us settled down. I’m glad it’s you.”

“You’ll find someone,” Ben said. It was rare that he and his friend got through a conversation without insulting each other, but the wedding was making them both soft, he supposed.

“Actually,” he added. “Have you met Rey’s coworker? Rose? I feel like you two would hit it off.”

“No, I haven’t. Is she here?” the redhead asked curiously.

“She’s over by the bar. Red dress.”

He watched Hux look over, and saw him raise his eyebrows when he spotted her, then a sort of look of recognition come across his face.

“Did you know she’s an Alpha?” his friend asked, to Ben’s surprise.

“Uh, I guess so…”

“Are you trying to set me up with an Alpha?” Hux asked again, more insistently.

“Look, I just think she’s cool… thought you might like her…”

“What, just because I’m an Omega means I’ll find any Alpha irresistible?”

“What? No! It’s just...”

“Just since you found an Omega must mean that I must be looking for an Alpha.”

“No! I mean,” Ben floundered. This wasn’t going as smoothly as he had planned. “I just… look, Rey put me up to this, she says Rose likes you…”

“Wait, what?”

“What?”

“She… she likes me?” Hux said, now looking thoroughly confused.

“Uh, yeah. That’s why I suggested talking to her.”

“Oh, shit.”

“What the hell, Hux?”

“I was just messing with you before,” his friend said. “I fully plan on talking to her, I recognize her from our building. I just wanted to make you sweat.”

“You bastard.”

“But I had no idea she liked me. I thought she never noticed me, to be honest.”

Ben sighed. Things with Hux would never change.

“Well, yeah. But don’t tell her I told you that. And don’t tell Rey that I told you. You know what, just pretend like this conversation never happened.”

“No problem, Solo,” Hux said, patting him on the shoulder and leaving him to make his way toward Rose.

Ben shook his head. Even on his goddamn wedding day, Hux was a pain in the ass. Then, he saw Poe descending the stairs into the main room out of the corner of his eye. Ben walked over to him, anxious for news about Rey.

“She’s ready to go when you are,” Poe said with a smile. He had really come to like the Alpha, despite their rough start. He really cared for Rey like a sister, and by extension had been exceedingly kind to Ben.

Ben caught his uncle’s eye from across the room, and gestured to him that he should go upstairs. Luke nodded solemnly and made his way to the staircase. He and Rey had a strange sort of relationship, but Ben was forever grateful that he took a chance on her and hired her for his firm. 

“I’ve been ready,” he answered honestly, setting his glass down on a nearby table. “Would you mind helping me get everyone outside?”

“Let’s do it.”

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben was pulling her a little too quickly. She nearly tripped over her dress several times. Eventually, he took her up in his arms and carried her bridal style down the hallway, sending her into a fit of giggles. The champagne had already gone to her head, and made her face flush as Ben struggled to open the door to the study a few rooms down from the main ballroom. He cursed when he had to put her down to open it. She laughed and grabbed him by the jacket into the room, nearly forgetting to close the door behind them.

“We need to be quick,” she told him, reaching to unbuckle his belt.

“Somehow I don’t think that will be a problem for me today,” he answered with a laugh, throwing a few things from the desk onto the floor and hoisting her up onto it. Rey wondered how old the elegant wooden desk was, how noble it looked, and how nefarious they were for disgracing it this way.

“And no ripping my dress,” she warned him, kicking off her shoes.

“Got it,” he answered, letting her help him bring her dress up around her legs. It was a little ungraceful, but they were both too gleeful to care. They were married now. Husband and wife. Everything else seemed trivial.

Ben froze when he felt up her thigh. He looked down, and fingered at some straps that Rey had forgotten about. He looked back up at her slowly, and raised an eyebrow playfully.

“Now, what is this?” he asked with a smirk. He was so sexy to her.

“You know what it is,” she said with a scowl. She didn’t want him to make fun of her for it. She was hoping he would be a bit more reverent of it than anything.

“Do I?” he asked, snapping one of the straps against her thigh. She yelped in surprise. “Maybe I need a better look at it, don’t you think?”

She nodded desperately, and bit her lip when he sank to his knees in front of her.

“Looks like my wife has a surprise for me,” he said, looking up at her after glancing under her dress.

She could feel herself get wet against the expensive lingerie when he referred to her as his wife.

“Just for you, my Alpha. My husband.”

He hummed deeply, and pressed a chaste kiss to her knee.

“You’re so good for me, Omega.”

“Hurry,” she encouraged. “We have to get back to the party.”

“I’ll take as long as I need, sweetheart,” her husband answered, parting her legs further with his hands. “You’re _mine_.”

She moaned, and used a foot hooked around his shoulder to bring him closer to her. He just laughed, and got to work kissing her inner thighs, and licking the straps wound around her legs. 

As much as she wanted him to continue, they really did need to hurry. Rey grabbed a handful of his delightfully silky hair, and pulled him up by it. He seemed perfectly willing to go along with her new plan as she finished pulling his belt off and pulling down his briefs, and she gasped as he pulled her panties to the side and slid into her.

It was perfect.

She placed her arms around his shoulders and wrapped her legs around him as he reached behind her to hold her ass, and he began rutting into her furiously.

“Yesss,” she hissed, rubbing her nose against her mark on his neck. It still smelled as good as ever to her, even better now that they were mated. It had changed when they both stopped their suppressants, but in a nice way. It was more personal now, this blend of aromas just between them.

Ben grunted into her ear as he stuffed her full of his cock. She could tell he was trying to be careful with her dress with the way his hands kept shuffling around, and she loved him even more for it.

“Love you, Rey,” he said deeply, like he had read her mind.

“Love you so much, Alpha,” she breathed into his ear.

She went about placing kisses wherever she could reach– his neck, his jawline, smooshed into his cheek. He was splitting her open just right, hitting the places only he would ever know. They were masters of each others’ bodies now. She reached a hand down to cup his balls, making him gasp and stutter his pace. She laughed as she played with them, enjoying the way he twitched inside of her.

“You’ll kill me one day, Omega,” her husband growled, leaning back to catch her mouth kiss her thoroughly. She smiled against his lips.

“I think I’ll keep you around a while,” she replied, moving her hand from his sac to her clit. She knew he was close, and wanted to reach the peak with him.

“That’s it,” Ben praised her, looking down. “Play with yourself. Come all over my cock… My wife…”

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, revealing her neck to her Alpha. He responded instantly, settling his lips on her mark and sucking at it determinedly. It sparked a current that flowed from her gland to her toes, and made her shudder against him. His cock felt so thick inside of her, even thicker at the base, his knot getting ready to form.

“Don’t…” she panted. “Don’t knot inside… we have to get… get back…”

Ben exhaled in frustration, but nodded against her neck. 

“When this thing is over,” he groaned, “I’m going to knot you so hard you won’t be able to walk…”

Rey just nodded emphatically, not at all opposed to the idea. She continued to rub her clit, letting the crescendo of flutters inside of her take over. Ben’s pace slowed, the girth of his knot decelerating him. 

“Come now, sweetheart, let go…”

All she needed was his encouragement to come apart. She wailed into the empty room, pulling at her mate’s hair. Ben was not far behind, pulling out just enough to keep from knotting her, but still releasing his cum into her pussy.

They stayed that way for a while, breathless and serenely happy. Ben placed gentle kisses along her glands, and she rubbed his back soothingly. He eventually pulled out, and used his handkerchief to keep his seed from getting on her dress. She whimpered as he cleaned her, still sensitive from a day’s worth of teasing against lacy, frilly lingerie. 

“I’m going to be investigating that more thoroughly later,” Ben said, running his fingers along the seams of her panties.

She smiled, closing her legs. 

“Later,” she promised with a wink.

Ben sighed, and seemed to reluctantly help her off of the desk. 

“I feel kind of bad for having sex in your grandmother’s library,” she said, looking around.

Ben just shrugged.

“I’m sure we’re not the first ones.”

Rey didn’t even _want_ to know what he meant by that.

“Let’s get back out there,” he said, taking her hand. “I still need a few more dances with my wife.”

Rey’s heart would never get used to it, she thought. Would never get used to having a partner, a mate, a husband. Someone who accepted her just the way she was. Someone who fascinated her every single day.

“I love you,” she reminded him again.

He wrapped her up in an embrace to kiss her once more.

“I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the lovely support on this one, folks. it was fun.  
> check out my other fics if you're interested, or subscribe to my account for future ones (I already have two more written).  
> thanks again, wishing all of you the very best!  
> <3


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